Upholders of the Mantle
by PVonTuckIII
Summary: When a Orion Species Goverment vessel discovers the Clone Wars, the now superior UNSC and Covenant go head-to-head with the Galactic Republic in war to determine who will become the new holders of the Mantle: The Reclaimers and their Protectors, or the Ursurpers? (NOW A MULTI-VERSE CROSSOVER WITH WARFRAME)[ON HIATUS]
1. Chapter 1 - Prologue

**Upholders of the Mantle**

**Pre - Story (A/N, Factions/Timelines, etc)**

_**Author's Note # 1 - Introduction and things to consider before reading.**_

**Hello FF, I'm PVonTuckIII. First off, I am new to the whole, FF thing, and this is my first story, so please try not to kill me in any reviews or PMs you send me, unless necessary. Try not to flame, that would be nice. Yeah, just wanted to get that outta the way, before you start reading this, so you know not to expect super-high-quality style reading right away. This story will be completed unless it does terrible (cough).**

**Anyways, more to the story, this is a crossover of the UNSC (Halo), the Cinematic Galactic Republic (SW), and a small amount of Mass Effect thrown in it, just for the sake of it. Not sure if I'll add anything else in, but I may consider it depending on reviews and PMs. See the Plot Summary/Faction chart info sec below for info. And with that, hope you enjoy this story, hopefully it get really long, and as a consistent reader of such stories myself, and I know how terrible it feels when you are reading and you find out that the author didn't finish it.**

**So saying, I will update this once a month, with a new chapter each month. To make up for this, I will try to make these chapters longer, and they will be well edited (He he). **

**Alright, sorry for all that. On with the show! And with that, I introduce:**

**UPHOLDERS OF THE MANTLE!**

**Faction Info/Plot Summary**

**Orion Species Government - The formation of the OSG was between the Covenant Separatists and all other former Covenant species, other than the now extinct Prophets. After the assasination of Jul 'Mdama at the hands of Blue Team, not only did the UNSC recover Dr. Catherine Halsey, but more importantly, they retrieved the alternate half of the Janus Key, a map of all Forerunner Tech in the Galaxy. The OSG, now without any hinderance from Storm, began a Golden Age of advancement for 75 years, until their fateful contact with the Galactic Republic. By the time the conflict had started, the total number of UNSC and Covenant ships numbered at around 100, 000, due to the UNSC's gaining of Onyx's production facilities, along with others. Technological tier - High Tier 2, or Extremely Low Tier 1. (Search up the story Inheritors of the Mantle. The tech of the OSG is the exact same as that story's)**

**Galactic Republic - For this story, the Republic has just started the Clone Wars, which means the fleets and clone army exist. First of all - Many books state that the Republic's Navy numbers in the Millions, but in the movie, we don't really see more than a few thousand. Thus, to make it fair, they will have a Navy strength of 500, 000 ships of various classes. Technological Tier - Around 2, as they do not have world building Tech.**

**Plot Summary**

**A OSG scientific ship, the _Tobias_, is investigating a Precursor artifact that looks like a small halo (the size of an asteroid) when said artifact rapidly opens a portal to a previously unexplored place - A part of the Milky that lay on the opposite end of the galaxy. It is here that the _Tobias _stumbles across the battle between the _Resolute_, piloted by Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi, and a Droid Munificent - Class Frigate. The _Tobias_ assists the damaged _Resolute _by Firing its outdated Hybrid MAC, which takes out the droid ship in around a dozen+ shots. Communications begin, and both sides get a snapshot of eachother in about 12 hours of meeting, until the several Slipspace portals open, revealing OSG Battlegroup Oliver which had intercepted the distress beacons of the _Tobias _and had arrived, after 1 day of travel, thanks to the new drives. The OSG and Republic remain in contact.**

**Tensions begin to mount after the OSG review the Clone Wars and define it as "despicable" and state that the Republic is too lazy to enlist it's own soldiers to fight and instead relies on slaves that never were meant to be born. This is then increased when Jedi Council is floored when they discover that the entirety of the OSG has NO PRESENCE IN THE FORCE. Only static can be felt when trying to sense them. Physical Force attacks and such still affect them, though not as severely. The OSG then shocks the Republic when they show hostility towards the Jedi, stating as how they have been the main starters of wars for the centuries that the Reublic stood. **

**All of this culminated when in a war game, the Republic Acclamator _Irreversible_fires upon an OSG ship, turning the War Games into the first battles of an actual war. This is where the story continues.**

**BAHM BAHM BAAAAAAAAHM!**

-  
_**Author's Note # 2 - Thoughts?**_

**How's it going, people? Hope you liked this, 'cause MOAR is comin! Next chapter will describe Republic as it preps for war, as well as showcase some UNSC tech! Have a great month, this story will be updated on April 30th, FOR SURE. This is a guaruntee, to make up for the fact that wait will be a bit tough (sniggers behind hand). You can rely on that when I say I update then, I will. **

**This is PVonTuckIII, transmission end!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**Calm Before the Storm**

**12:15 am Standard Universal Time OSG**

**UNSC _Daedalus _\- Class Warship _Temperament_**

**Admiral Thomas Lasky**

Admiral Lasky was quietly watching the fleet surrounding the _Temperament _with muted interest and unspoken worried thoughtfulness. Like the other 5 ships of the line, the _Temperament _was 27 km long, the largest in the UNSC Navy. Capable of taking solar system's by itself, only Forerunners ships could take it on and win. Armed with 6 Forerunner-Enhanced Energy Projectors, which fired a thin scintillating beam of charged particles, capable of cleaving most, if not all, ships in two. Several smaller energy projecters dotted the hull for close range "knife fights." The ship had a Forerunner Metal/Titanium A6 Alloy armour, underneath dual layers of Hard-Light Shields. It made the famed _Infinity _\- Class look like an ant. Localized Slipspace portals provided transport, and one new feature was that the bridge was actually buried in the heart of the ship, with cameras and scanners rendering an incredibly accurate picture that could be altered to show different settings, like infrared or the holographic "Battle Mode" (Similar to the simulator from Ender's Game).

After several minutes of this mindless task, he was roused from his musings by Roland, who had not only been upgraded with new software to prevent Rampancy and allow him to attain meta-stability, but now served with Lasky on the _Temperament_. It had been made law that any AI that was sentient was a full citizen of the OSG, granting more peace and stability to the already settled and powerful government.

"What are you thinking about, Admiral? You look... troubled." Roland stated as his avatar appeared full size behind Lasky, courtesy of the micro-projectors seeded everywhere, which allowed for full colour, rather than just blue or orange.

Lasky sighed as he turned around to meet his old friend and assistant.

"Just about what going to come around. I knew that at some point or the other, we would disagree, but who would have thought of full fledged war?"

"I understand what you're trying to say, but at least it's not like the H/C War, where we are horribly outclassed, wouldn't you say?"

Lasky pinched his nose as he turned back to the holographic screen showing the fleet, preparing for the imminent Republic offensive.

"I know, but this time it's different. We're fighting against not only aliens, but HUMANS! Our own kind. And the fact that we are on equal levels only means a longer war." We outgun them, but they outnumber us."

Roland smirked. "I think you forgot something. We have **them**. More importantly, we have _him_. With him fighting, with the other Spartans around him, that Jedi Council will know the wonderful thing we call fear."

For the first time that day, Lasky laughed.

"Quite true, which is probably why Chief is here today. Intel says a Jedi Knight, and a Master, are on the Attack Fleet. Chief and Cortana's mission is to infiltrate the flagship, kill or capture the Jedi, and secure Admiral Yularen. And ground teams planet side will be charged with the enroutment of the Republic's elite 501st Legion."

Roland whistled. "They sure are pretty serious 'bout this. By the way, about how Intel got all that info. According to Cortana and Black Box, who hacked the Republic servers, their security could be punched through by a drunk marine." Roland laughed. "Cortana's got it easy when she and Chief get on the ship."

"Yeah, but it's the Fleet that concerns me. We've got 81 ships here, including the one we are standing one right now. The Republic Fleet has around 250. They outnumber us 3 to 1."

Roland smirked again. "Honestly, you need to calm down. You're only 139. A fraction of your lifetime. That much stress in your young years could ruin retirement."

Lasky didn't respond, but smiled and instead summoned someone over the Intercom.

"Sierra 117, please report to the bridge, Adm Lasky out."

**12:20 Universal Standard Time OSG**

**UNSC _Daedalus _\- Class Warship _Temperament_**

**Sierra 117 Private Quarters**

John at the moment had been doing the same thing as Lasky had been doing. Thinking. About his upcoming mission, to the rare distaste that he had felt for the Republic, and the Jedi, about Cortana's recent resurrection. The fact that he had been called to Onyx to be told that they had managed to bring Cortana back with full Sentience... it was one of the few times in the Spartan's life that he had been joyfully surprised. Of course, that surprise came again when news of the Republic came. He remembered his anger when he had been told of the Clone Army, and how the Jedi had been war-mongers, essentially, for so long. Of course, now he got to release that distaste in his mission.

His Mission. He was actually excited, because he would be trying out for the first time in-combat - the new Aegis III Powered Armour. Reverse - Engineered from Forerunner Promethean Armour, it retained the same look, capabilities, and such, but with a matte black colour. He had also wanted to know if it could withstand lightsaber blows, so that it would not fail him in combat with Jedi's.

"Having fun, Chief?"

John whirled around to see Cortana appear behind him, _almost _scaring him.

"Cortana. I was just thinking about what's gonna happen when we both blow our way onto that ship."

Cortana nodded."I known that you're worried about if you'll be able to complete it successfully. And ya know what I gotta say 'bout that?

"What?"

"DON'T WORRY! You've been through much worse, facing the Didact and all. You've fought against the Covenant for so long and refused to fall, and your inhuman luck only helps. We are going to finish this mission together. Promise?"

John smiled, and stood up, wearing the Aegis III bodysuit. "Promise."

_"Sierra 117, please report to the bride, Adm Lasky out."_

John streched. "Guess we'd better go then."

**12:50 Galactic Standard Time**

**Republic _Venator_ \- Class Star Destroyer - _Unstoppable_**

**Jedi Knight Aayla Secura**

Aayla Secura walked over to the window of the _Unstoppable_, offering a view of the twinkling engine lights of 251 ships that made up the Anti-UNSC Fleet, that was to take an OSG controlled world called Edwin II. As she took in the sight, she let her mind wander into the Force.

_An entire species. Without a single inkling of Midichlorians in them. How was it possible?_

She had been as surprised as everyone else when the council had realized the shocking truth. But this soon turned to worry when the OSG stared criticizing the Republic about their usage of clones, and more importantly, the Jedi Council itself. They had argued that the Council was corrupt, and was the main lighter of wars. Several Jedi, like Anakin, had been outraged, at the accusation. But none of them had expected things to change so quickly when the OSG declared war on them after a training mishap.

She was still musing about this when Shaak Ti walked up beside her, joining her in her viewings.

"You are thinking about the coming battle, no?" she inquired.

Aayla let herself laugh a little. "Not just that. About everything, how so much has changed in so little time."

Shaak Ti also laughed, but immediately became serious. "I hope all goes well in this battle. I heard that we outnumber the UNSC largely."

"But we should not underestimate them. Remember the damage the few ships at the War Games caused. Those were supposedly outdated ships according to the OSG."

Shaak Ti merely seemed to concede the point, and at the point; someone called out: "Admiral on deck!"

Both Jedi turned around to see Admiral Yularen walk onto the bridge.

"Jedi. I presume all is well?"

"Yes Admiral. We're just worried about the upcoming battle."

Yularen's face tightened as he walked over to the windows.

"While I know it is new, we must teach these scoundrels that they cannot support the CIS, disrespect the GAR, and then criticize the Jedi Council, without repurcussions. We must teach them a lesson."

And with that, he activated the comms, and broadcasted a meassage to the entire fleet.

"All ships, prepare to jump, to battle stations. May the force be with you!"

Soon the place where 251 mighty ships had once stood was now empty, as they all transitioned to hyperspace.

None of them saw or detected the stealth probe hovering, watching their every move and communication, which jumped to Slipspace as soon as the fleet left.

**12:40 am Standard Universal Time OSG**

**UNSC _Daedalus _\- Class Warship _Temperament_**

**Admiral Thomas Lasky**

Admiral Lasky was running over the diagnostics, when an alarm blared through the ship, and throughout the whole 81 ship fleet.

"Roland! What's going on?!"

Roland materialized beside Lasky. "The ONI probe just confirmed that the Republic attack fleet just departed into hyperspace. They're moving."

"How long till they are here?" questioned Lasky.

"Calculation say an ETA 3 hours, due to the inferiority of hyperspace." Hyperspace was not actually slower than OSG Slipspace drives, but it was affected by gravity, making quick travel difficult.

Lasky grimaced. Just then, John 117 arrived on the bridge.

"Sir?"

Lasky turned to see him. "Good to see you, Chief. Probes just confirmed that the enemy has left. ETA 3 hours. I need you to get all the Spartans suited up, get suited up yourself, and meet me back up here before the Republic arrives. I wanna see the clown leading them, and I want you to represent the OSG along with me."

"Sir Yes SIR!"

"Then get to it, Spartan!"

**1 1/2 hour later**

Chief had just finished getting everyone else, including Blue Team, suited up, and he headed down to the Science Division to get suited up himself. As he stepped into the immaculate white room, a lone scientist greeted him.

"Hello Chief. I assume you're here to get the new armour I know you're dying to get on?" said the scientist with a smile.

Master Chief let himself laugh a bit. "I guess you could say that."

"Good. See that raised platform? Yeah that one. Step on it, and let the machine do the rest!"

John did as he was told, and the moment he stepped on the circular platform, a blue light scanned him.

_"Sierra 117, acknowledged." Initiating Aegis III Attachment Sequence."_

With that, the ceiling and floor broke open, and arms holding peices of armour extended out of the holes. Chief hovered a foot above the ground as the anti-gravity repulsor activated. He felt armour fly off of the arms and attach themselves to his bodysuit. The last piece, the helemt, flew into place, immediately giving Chief a new awareness of his surroundings. He didn't feel like he was in armour. A rendering of his surroundings surrounded him, and holograms also rendered themselves in. A slow pulse constantly emanated from him, and he realized that this was the new motion tracker, and he could tell that the suit had flight capabilities, and Active Camo as well.

"Like it? That armour, with full shields could take a Jedi's lightsaber wacking on it almost indefinetely, so you should be good for your mission." In fact, you can do almost anything in that armour, within reason of course. Don't go around nuking yourself. That won't end well for anyone." he chuckled.

Master Chief stepped off the platform, his suit somehow making almost no sound. "It's so light, compared to the older Mjolnirs."

"Yeah, joking aside, you could actually do flips and what not in this without any difficulty. Lifting capacity for you is now at around 15 tons in that. Max speed is around 60 or so miles an hour."

_"Sounds all good. Room in their for me, Chief?"_

Cortana appeared in the lab, right at the door.

"Come on in, Cortana." said Chief, and held out his hand. Cortana stepped up and touched it, and immediately disappeared. Chief felt the familier chill as she entered the suit.

_"Very roomy. Well, what're we waitin for, let's get to the bridge before the Republic arrives. Maybe scare their Admiral into leaving us alone._

**3:50 am Galactic Standard Time**

**Republic _Venator_ \- Class Star Destroyer - _Unstoppable_**

**Jedi Knight Aayla Secura**

"ETA 1 Minute to arrival!"

Aayla Secura and Shaak Ti both walked up to the bridge windows and screens. They had been requested by Yularen to stay by his side when he hailed the OSG fleet when they arrived. And now, here they stood, waiting for the first battle of a war.

At that very moment, the dull grayscape of hyperspace made for the jarring colour bound reality of realspace. All eyes were drawn to the planet, which wuite apparently was undergoing terraforming.

"It still amazes me how they can terraform so quickly." said Shaak Ti as she gazed at the planet. Yularen was the first to spot the OSG fleet. They knew that this one was a full UNSC fleet. Unlike the Republic fleet, it was obviously not meant to look good in promo pics. It was meant war, conquest, and exploration. Matte Grey with Blue lights dotting the hulls, they sat in a triangular formation, menacing the outnumbering Republic Fleet with sheer Firepower.

Yularen grunted. "Do they actually expect to win with so few ships? We outnumber them 3 to 1."

Even with the advantage, Aayla didn't feel secure. The UNSC fleet looked advanced, capable of destroying at a moment's notice. It was then that the Communications Officer spoke up, somewhat quietly.

"It seems they're waiting. Orders, Sir?"

Yularen was quiet for a moment, before responding. "Hail them. I wanna see their scared faces."

"Doing it right now Sir."

**03:50 am Standard Universal Time OSG**

**UNSC _Daedalus _\- Class Warship _Temperament_**

**Admiral Thomas Lasky**

Master Chief, Lasky both stood at the bridge, with Roland beside them. Cortana had decided not to show herself, and instead use the communications to gather any last-minute data about the Republic Fleet, which currently was drifting 320, 000 km away.

"Sir," called out the comms officer. "It appears that they are hailing us. Orders?"

Lasky called out, his voice clear in the tense air of the ship. "Patch 'em through. I wanna see these guys."

"Done, Sir."

With that, the holoprojectors whirred, and an image of the bridge of the _Unstoppable_ appeared, and the talk began.

**04:00 am Galactic Standard Time**

**Republic _Venator_ \- Class Star Destroyer - _Unstoppable_**

**Jedi Knight Aayla Secura**

Aayla waited nervously while they waited for the UNSC flagship to respond. She had noticed that they seemed to be giving off very little energy. Either they were extremely good masking it, or they were extremely efficient with their usage. Then, The screens lit up as the UNSC responded.

Firstly, she was quite surprised about the size of the bridge. It was around half the size of the Venator's, and only 15 or so people sat at tables, staring at the screen. Also, unlike the large amount of electronics found in the Venator, the UNSC bridge had almost none, with huge holographic projections replacing them. Her attention then turned to the three strange people facing them directly in front of the screens.

The first was obviously the leader of the enemy fleet. He wore a white, formfitting uniform, with a few lines denoting his rank. A small cap was on his head, with a bird holding a banner was emblazoned in gold. He looked quite young, with dark brown hair, and intelligent eyes, and at the same time she could sense a strategic mind at work.

The other two characters were much stranger. The second thing on the bridge was _massive_. The figure a wore sleek, angular, futuristic armour of sorts, and must have been 8 feet tall. One of it's arms was a long, sleek barrel, of a no-doubt lethal weapon. It seemed to notice her, and although she could not see it's face, or feel it through the Force, she could sense anger and distaste in it.

The Final being was for all intents and purposes normal, but then it flickered, and she realized it was a very accurate hologram.

She was interrupted in her analysis by Yularen. "And who do I have the pleasure of talking with, from the primitive goverment known as the OSG?"

It had meant to anger the enemy, but when the first figure answered, she was surprised at how it answered.

"UNSC Admiral Thomas Lasky. The two gentlemen beside me are Commander Sierra 117, and this is RLD 0205-4, or Roland, the AI commander of this ship. I think we all want to know why you are invading sovereign OSG space, and why you haven't been smart enough to retreat. We WILL blow your Grand Fleet to Oblivion and back if necessary."

Yularen laughed. "Are you actually threatening a force that outnumbers you three to one? We are more than you, and you will know that you can't go around criticizing the Republic without consequences. After we finish mopping up the space that will be filled with the debris of your ships, your mighty goverment will fall."

"Excuse me, _Admiral_. While you were still in combat school, I was around fighting a genocidal alien hegemony. We, the UNSC, were nearly wiped off the face of the galaxy. It was only because of our persistance and forgiveness of our enemy's ignorance that we prevailed, and soon created the OSG. We have faced worse than you, and we are not afraid. If you do not leave the system, I will be forced to eradicate your fleet. And I promise. It will NOT end well for any survivors."

"Well, we are under orders to destroy you and take the planet, so I am afraid that we cannot comply." Yularen said with a smirk.

To their surprise, the Admiral sighed, like he had wanted to avoid conflict. "So be it. You have made your choice, and I cannot change that. My condolences."

With that, the screen went dark, and all on that bridge knew that their galaxy would be changed forever.

* * *

**_Author's Note # 3 - Stuff_**

**Hey people, hope you're enjoying the story. Next will be the battle itself, and in later chapters, I will include the New Covenant in the war, with it being told from their PoV. Also, 'bout the armour that John is wearing, search up Forerunner Armour on Google Img, and the first one is what the Aegis III looks like. The gun on it's right hand can switch between the gun and a normal hand. Of course, the suit can operate normal weapons too. The left hand has similar capabilities. More info to come. Enjoy!**

**Yours,**

**PVonTuckIII**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**Battle of Edwin II**

**_Author's Note # 4 - Reviews_**

**Hey there, I know I uploaded chapter 2 early, but I was done, and I couldn't help myself (ahem). Anyways, I thought I'd take some time to answer some things addressed in the reviews. I can't believe it's only a day or so and I already have almost 500 views. Thanks a lot. Anyways:**

**FORGEmaster - They have set one up, as they knew about the attack for quite a while now. As to how many ships they cripple, I don't know.**

**SmokyTinyTom - You are correct in that I used SoaGE as an inspiration. In fact, you can consider this a remake of it. This stories tech for the UNSC and OSG is derived from the now-dormant story - Inheritors of the Mantle.**

**Slayer10321 - Thank you for the advice, I have implemented some changes.**

**Alpha Damage/ilovebotdf111 - Thanks a lot, really helps encourage me to continue.**

**Guest - Thank you**

**Guest #2 - I really wish I could pm you. But anyways, I waned to save AH for later, as a new part of the plot. So for those who love AH, they will be entering soon. Plus, Mass Effect will soon appear as a bystander to the conflict. I was recently reading some Halo/MLP crossovers, not sure if I'll add those in.**

**Stormdragon981 - Chaps will be released every week or so, depending on length and importance.**

**balom - You are entitled to your opinion. But about the MAC gun wankery, there ARE NO MACS in this story, if you bothered to read the first chapter. They are utilizing energy weapons. And as for Spartans, this is taking place almost a century after the H/C War. Spartans would have much beter tech than before, and reverse-engineering this stuff doesn't take centuries. decades, sure. But Centuries? And if I was actually a fanboy, then I would have Pre-war UNSC go against Republic and win. Not Post-War UNSC AND Covenant with a century of advancement. Plus, don't make any assumptions about the story OR the author (for any story). This story is as logical as it can be, and I have done my research (aka - read the books, played the games, watched the movies). **

**Anyways, on with the show!**

* * *

**Edwin II System, OSG Space**

**Republic _Venator_ \- Class Star Destroyer - _Unstoppable_**

**Jedi Knight Aayla Secura**

For a short moment after the UNSC Admiral closed comms, all was still. The very atoms in the air seemed to have stopped moving.

It was Yularen who acted first. "All ships, forward! I want full burn! Get our turbolasers into range!

With a low hum, the entire Republic Fleet launched forward, engines glowing.

It was then that Aayla felt tbe familiar ripple in the Force warning of imminent danger.

"Admiral, you NEED to stop-." she tried to say before the world around her exploded in light.

Ship after ship in the Republic Grand Fleet was subjected to massive explosions as they hit the Urchin - Class Antimatter Minefield that the UNSC had laid out around the already-known entry point of the Republic in the system. Several ships were completely destroyed, and several others were crippled. Among the chaos, Aayla, staggering on the barely stable bridge of the Venator, heard even worse news.

"Massive Energy Spikes emanating from the UNSC Fleet! They're firing!"

Yularen's expression was one of shock and disbelief. "How!? How could they establish a positive lock at this range?!"

But nevertheless, the evidence was there for all to see. The horrified crews on the Republic Ships could only watch and divert power to shields in a last-minute defense against the swirlinng energies gathering at the almost non-existent barrels of the OSG ships.

And then all hell broke loose.

Dozens upon dozens of scintillating white beams lanced across the void, eager to reach their destintion, ready to obliterate their almost hapless targets.

When they struck, the Republic was not prepared for the destruction that they wrought.

Immediately dozens of ships were rendered inoperable, as the beams cut through the armour and shields of the front line of the fleet. Most ships were hit by several beams, which meant they had little chance of staying in one piece. Yularen and the bridge crew could only watch as ships around them were gutted from bow to stern, and those that weren't had holes punched into them, exposing the crews to the unforgiving harshness of the inky blackness.

The whole process didn't last much longer than 10 seconds, yet that 10 seconds saw a turning point in the military history of the Republic.

As Aayla steadied herself, she realized that the _Unstoppable_ had been spared, as it was located closer to the centre of the fleet. Yularen also got up after being knowcked onto the ground.

"How many ships?" he croaked as he slipped back into his chair.

The officer stared at his screen in the left pit.

"S sir. That volley, along with the mines, took out 92 ships." He muttered, clearly in shock.

Aayla was almost in disbelief. "_How. _Such losses are unprecedented. And they did it in less than 30 seconds."

"Lets just hope that those weapons are slow-firing. I want all fighters out, and spin up the turbolasers! Prepare for engagement!"

As the Republic Fleet closed the distance between the two armies, the OSG fleet managed to get out one more volley, taking out 4 Venators, a few Acclamators, and several Praetors. This time, diverting the shieldsto the front managed to lessen the damage. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the the Republic Fleet was in firing range.

"FIRE! Burn their ships to dust!" shouted Yularen.

The deck under Aayla's feet rumbled as the Turbolasers fired, blue streaks of light lancing out towards the OSG fleet.

**Edwin II System, OSG Space**

**UNSC Daedalus Class Warship - _Temperament_**

**Master Chief Warrant Officer John 117/Cortana**

John 117 almost cursed as the Republic's Turbolaser bolts struck the UNSC Fleet. He could see out of a porthole, as several smaller ships were hit by multiple bolts and exploded as their reactors went critical. The UNSC, while more powerful than before, was by no means invincible, even with the Forerunner upgrades.

"We lost 9 ships in that barrage, John. We _need _hurry." stated Cortana as John watched the wrecks of once-powerful UNSC wawrships drift aimlessly through space.

"Affirmative. We're here anyways." said John as the duo reached the Spartan drop bay. Waiting for them was a technichian beside a Mark VI Booster Frame.

"Hello, Chief. Ready for the mission?" inquired the techie as he sized up Chief in his Aegis III Armour. Unlike the other's on the ship, the techie didn't seem in awe, or nervous of Chief. MC found it somewhat reassuring.

"Yes sir. Is this what I'll be using?" he asked as he walked around the craft and climbed on.

"Yep. Now, I think you know the mission, but I have orders to tell you it again, just in case. You will be taking the frame to the Republic Flagship, which will be designated on your HUD. Once that happens, you must enter the ships via the main hangar. As to how you enter it is up to you."

Chief nodded as he went over the instruments.

"Once you do that, your mission is to kill, maim, or capture the two Jedi on board, and also procure Admiral Wullf Yularen. A Joint-Species _Void_\- Class Prowler will be retrieving you and your hostages once you confirm that the mission is complete. Clear?"

"Crystal, Sir."

"Then get to it, and show those Republic idiots who the real soldiers are."

"Sir, Yes Sir." Said Chief as the hanger darkened and Chief's HUD lit up with a countdown sequence.

10...

9...

8...

7...

"Ready to face some real enemies, Chief? I know you've been bored for the last few months." teased Cortana, as the timer reached 3 seconds.

"Well, to be honest, I've been anticipating this moment for a while now." joked Chief as the timer read 0.

With that, the bay doors slid open, and the Booster Frame with Chief dropped out. Chief throttled it, and the frame shot out towards the advancing Republic Fleet.

**Edwin II System, OSG Space**

**Republic _Venator_ \- Class Star Destroyer - _Unstoppable_**

**Jedi Knight Aayla Secura**

All on the bridge of the Venator were highly engaged except for the two Jedi, and Yularen. They watched as hailstorms of pulsing blue turbolaser bolts were pierced by needles of energy from the OSG ships.

As she watched several ARC - 170s race into the battle, she noticed something. A small dot moving towards their ship. it was slightly bigger than the V - wings, and as she watched it, to her surprise, it took out several ARCs, along with a few V - Wings.

"Yularen, what is that?" she said, as she walked over to one of the officers monitering incoming fighters. She requested the officer to zoom in on the strange fighter and put it up on the main screen.

All eyes momentarily turned to the screen, and they all watched, shocked, as they observed a _person_ on the craft. And not just any person. The figure from the bridge. And that figure, on what seemed like a primitve rocket, was taking out ARCs like they were nothing. And that person was heading right for the _Unstoppable. _

"Who is that?" whispered an officer as they watched it flip over a V-Wing, morph one of it's hands into a long-barreled rifle, and fire a glowing orange round straight through the cockpit of the fighter, killing the pilot. All in under 5 seconds. And travelling at hypersonic speeds.

It was then that the connection was made for Aayla. _"When observing the intel gathered on the OSG, we came across a document about supersoldiers used in their Great War. They were able to turn the tide of a battle easily. One of them, along with his AI, ended the War.__ Is Sierra - 117, the figure from the bridge, a supersoldier?"_

She would have continued until she saw that supersoldier, the greatest in the galaxy, swoop the vehicle into the just closing hanger-bay. It was in the ship.

**Edwin II System, OSG Space**

**Master Chief Warrant Officer John 117/Cortana**

"You know, as dramatic as it is, I don't think your idea of squeezing in at the last minute is gonna work." siad Cortana as John neared the Venator.

"It works in the movies, doesn't it?"

"Tell me James Bond. How many movies have you watched?"

John chuckled. "None."

And with that, he sped towards the Venator, blasting down a trio of V-Wings that tried to intercept him, and then sent all of the frames missles into a squad of V-Wings, destroying them all. He could see the Venator's hangar doors closing, possibly in an attempt to stop him. But John was much, much faster. Putting all remaining fuel into the afterburners, he raced towards the closing doors, and burst in.

Before he slammed into the ground an possibly killed himself (which would be pretty sad considering what he had been through) he ejected, used the suits repulsor pack to slow his descent, and activated a bubble shield as the world around him exploded into flames and sparks.

**Edwin II System, OSG Space**

**Republic _Venator_ \- Class Star Destroyer - _Unstoppable_**

**Admiral Whullf Yularen**

"Shaak Ti, I want you to get down to the hanger, and deal with this supersoldier. Take Captain Rex. He's still on board. If by the time you reach the hangar, the clones have already killed the guy, then just bring him to the lab. Aayla, I want you to get out their and help our fighters. It looks like they're getting ripped apart by those OSG brutes."

The Jedi, along with Rex, immediately complied, with Shaak Ti and Rex taking the elevator to the hangar, and Aayla Secura taking a different elevator to the private hangar on the side of the ship.

**Edwin II System, OSG Space**

**Republic _Venator_ \- Class Star Destroyer - _Unstoppable_**

**Hangar Bay**

As the clones entered the hangar, they found the far end to be a mass of roiling smoke and flames. It was when the smoke cleared that they got their first glimpse of their opponent. Inside of a strange shield, was a being that looked like it could make Clone Commandos cry. Almost 8 feet tall, clad in angular black armour, with a single glowing blue eyevisor in the center of it's head. It didn't seem to be carrying any weapons.

"You there! Halt, identify yourself, and surrender. Failure to comply will result in termination!" called out the clone captain, who led the _Unstoppable's _clone force. The figure seemed to gauge them, it's head turning ever-so-slightly. Then, still inside the bubble-like shield, the figure's arms both morphed into arm guns. They seemed like high-tech blasters. That was enough to tell the clone captain about the intruder's intent.

Sadly, he never even got a chance to raise his blaster. Before _any _clone could react, the clone captain dissolved into golden particles as the figure fired upon him with the two arm guns, which fired in twin bursts of golden light.

"Have fun." he taunted, and proceeded to systematically wipe out the entire clone group. With one hand in rifle mode, and the other extended in a hardlight sword, he charged into battle once again.

**Edwin II System, OSG Space**

**Republic _Venator_ \- Class Star Destroyer - _Unstoppable_**

**John 117/Cortana**

As John slid behind a piece of wreckage on the deck, he hurled a plasma grenade over his cover, vaporizing several clones. He allowed his shields to recharge and burst up, out of his cover using the repulsor jetpack, soaring dozens of feet into the air, all the while unloading burst after burst from his arm light-rifles. Clone after clone dissolved into golden light as the Spartan fired, never missing a shot. Then, out of an alternate hangar, 5 clones on BARC speeders burst in, guns blazing, hoping to take out the menace that threatened the ship. But the soldier who had braved the Didact was not to be defeated.

He entered Spartan Time.

The world turned to jelly, everything moving like flies in amber. John leaped over one BARC and stuck a plasma grenade to the chassis, and fired a burst into the engine of another. Both were neutralized. He then retracted the rifle and instead morphed both arms into hardlight swords. He lept onto the thrid speeder, stabbed the pilot, and jumped into the other speeder pushing it into the last.

The whole fight was over in under 9 minutes. As Chief scanned the smoldering wreckage for survivors, Cortana piped up.

"Alright Chief, no time for watching the sunset. Plug me into that terminal on the wall. Technically, there was no plugging in. All Chief had to do was touch the terminal with his hand, and Cortana would download into it. Quite convenient.

As he did so, Cortana's avatar appeared on the pedestals holo-projector.

"Ok then, I'll be infiltrating the systems, and I'll help whenever possible. It'll take me around 5 minutes to do everything. Plus, your mission will be a little longer. One of the two Jedi on-ship is heading here in the turbolift with a clone veteran with her. Be prepared. I won't be able to help you too much here. Ya got that energy sword the Arbiter gave you?

Chief nodded, and pulled the Newer Type 1 Mark 2 Energy Sword from his back. It featured a more streamlined handle, and a thinner, sharper blade. It was designed for human hands. Even though he had hardlight blades, he preferred to use the sword because of it's greater versatility. Plus, it lasted much longer than the older model.

"Well, I've got a ship to hack, and files to steal, so good luck. And as these Jedi say, "May the Force be with you."

Chief almost snorted. "What Force?"

**Edwin II System, OSG Space**

**Republic _Venator_ \- Class Star Destroyer - _Unstoppable_**

**Jedi Knight Aayla Secura**

As Aayla flew out of the Venator's hangar in her _Eta 2 _starfighter, she was immediately confused. She saw ARC fighters shooting the smaller OSG drones out of space, their burning chassis' leaving fiery comet trails. She had thought that their fighters would be more effective. Plus, their didn't seem to be many of them. The comms crackled and she immediately awoke from her reverie.

"Anyone feel like we're walking into a trap over?" called out a random clone pilot.

Aayla was about to respond when another clone almost shouted over the comms.

"We've got hundreds of tangos coming. Much bigger than what we were facing. Probably better armoured. There is also a few thousand small craft, about the size of hover-cars. Like drones, but bigger."

It was then that Aayla was hit by something in the Force. She heard a voice, emanating from the void inside of her.

_The Republic is falling. The Reclaimers and their Protectors are only trying to save your galaxy, and themselves. They will change everything, and you will never see things as they were._

She snapped out of it, sweaty. Before she could dwell on the frightening meditation, she heard a clone scream over the comms.

_"Missiles Incoming! Kriff, They're fast! Evasive maneuvers!"_

And she could nothing more than dodge as the fighters on either side of her exploded in light.

She weaved her way through the missile barrage, only barely surviving because of her connectivity to the Force. Her scanners warned of an enemy fighter behind her and she turned on the rear camera to get a look at her enemy.

The fighter was much larger than her own. Two thin engines could be seen in the middle of the forward-swept wings. Instead of a typical cockpit, she could deduce that the pilot used a simulated cockpit to better control the craft and provide protection. She heard another alarm, and she looked forward to see an ARC coming in front o take out the fighter behind. The OSG fighter obviously saw, because at the lsat second, in a maneuver that would have impressed Anakin, the fighter flipped upside down, using it's own momentum to keep forward, while using its frontal guns to blow the ARC to oblivion.

Giving it a quick thought, she slowed down as much as possible, causing the OSG fighter to overshoot immediately let loose with the two cannons, blue lances streaking towards the OSG fighter. To her surprise, a golden shield appeared around it, protecting the behind from damage. But it didn't seem to be doing anything other than weaving to escape her. Then, as a the silver blue hull of a OSG ship loomed in front of her, it's PD guns pointing at her, she realized what the fighter was doing.

She turned as fast as possible, and put full thrust She could feel vibrations as Kinetic rounds coated in plasma dotted her hull, her head snapped against the dahsboard, causing her to slowly lose consciousness. As she drearily looked up, she could vaguely process in horror as the OSG ship unloaded a salvo of missiles into a Medstar Frigate, no doubt killing all of the wounded onboard. Then she fell unconscious, and drifted into a troubling black.

**Edwin II System, OSG Space**

**Republic _Venator_ \- Class Star Destroyer - _Unstoppable_**

**Jedi Master Shaak Ti**

As the turbolift's doors to the hangar opened, Shaak Ti and Rex got their first look at the carnage.

Rex was shocked at what had happened to the clones. "What the kriff happened _here_? More importantly, _who _did this?"

When Shaak Ti didn't answer, he looked to her and saw her frozen, looking straight at the heart of the carnage, at the perpetrator of the destruction.

The Figure from the Bridge.

The Supersoldier.

Rex, angry at the deaths of so many of his clones, reacted hastily. "you dare-"

To Shaak Ti's horror, he was cut off as the lines on the figure's arm rifle glowed briefly, before discharging three glowing orange rounds, which slammed into Rex's abdomen. The first punctured the armour, and the second and third vaporized him.

"If you don't want to end up like him, I advise you surrender and drop the lightsaber I know you have.

Shaak Ti smiled inwardly. The soldier was unaware of her abilities.

"OK. Just don't shoot."

With that, she pulled out her lightsaber and rolled it on the floor. Then, just as John tilted to pick it up, she acted.

She Force-pushed him back, although it took some considerable effort to do so, and then retrieved her lightsaber, and activated it.

"I don't think you're ready for us. You cannot stand in the face of the Force, soldier."

The soldier got to his feet, and pulled from it's back a strange hilt, and activated the strangest lightsaber she had ever seen. It had two, thin blades of blue plasma, from which a strange gas emanated, curling around the blades. He raised it, and spoke.

"Quite the contrary. We are immune to the more severe effects to the Force, and I have been ready for quite a while against your cult."

And with that, he lunged forward, ready to face his new enemy.

In previous experiences, she had always had time to react, and gain the upper hand, always had those few precious seconds.

This time she was lucky to have even one second to react.

Almost too fast for her to track, he lept straight for her, supposedly trying to slash her throat. A quick killer. But she had the Force. Using the techniques she had trained in since childhood, she barely managed to dodge the stab of her enemy's lightsaber. Even so, the heat warmed her face, almost blistering it.

She backflipped backwards behind a small group of charred chassis'. She could sense the Warrior slowly approaching, a void in the Force. Grinning to herself, she used the Force to lift a BARC speeder in the air, twirled it a little, and hurled it at the soldier. She fully expected him to be flattened, or at least injured.

That is, until the vehicle screeched to a halt in midair, and rose up.

In the hands of the warrior.

He had caught it, like a toy.

The sheer awe she now felt at this being soon dissapated when the being winded his arm back, and hurled the BARC speeder right back at her. She could only duck under as sparks screamed over her head.

**Edwin II System, OSG Space**

**Republic _Venator_ \- Class Star Destroyer - _Unstoppable_**

**John 117**

As much as he despised the Jedi, he did have to admire this one for her ingenuity and courage. She had lasted this long, which most enemies didn't. Plus, that 'Force' of theirs was a _force_ to be reckoned with. He had already started planning on ways to combat it in the future. He immediately pressed his advantage as the xeno recovered from the throw, and lunged for her again with his Energy sword. She was able to parry his first few strikes, but he knew that she knew that she was on the defensive. Then, just as he thrust forward, hoping to stab her, she purposefully lodged her blade between his two, and twisted, knocking the Energy Sword from his grip. She then Force-pushed him onto the ground and kept him their with the Force. He was trapped.

**Edwin II System, OSG Space**

**Republic _Venator_ \- Class Star Destroyer - _Unstoppable_**

**Jedi Master Shaak Ti**

She stepped over to him, lightsaber drawn. "You were a valiant opponent soldier. You approach the Sith Lords in power, the few people that we fear. Now prepare to meet your demise." As she stepped over and raised her lightsaber for the final blow.

And then it happened.

First of all, John activated the hardlight shielding, which temporarily unbalanced Shaak Ti, causing her to lose focus and lower her Force bindings on the Spartan. Then, as she regained balance and swung her lightsaber down, she found it stopped cold by a translucent blade of orange light. Just as she realized what had happened, the soldier kicked her.

She knew instantly that it was mortal. The kick shattered her ribs, and punctured several organs. She slid back several meters, and lay at the front of the Turbolift doors.

Out of her blurry eyes, she saw the soldier walk up to her, his own lightsaber drawn, the two blades crackling with energy.

"While the Sith Lords may be one of the few that you fear, there is a new group for you to add to that list. The Spartans. Rest in Peace, Warrior."

And in that moment, she saw no ego, pride, or anger in the soldier. She saw cool, hard, ruthless efficiency, but at the same time, respect and loyalty. A warrior beyond measure. Then John plunged the Energy Sword into her skull, and she ceased to be.

**Edwin II System, OSG Space**

**Republic _Venator_ \- Class Star Destroyer - _Unstoppable_**

**John 117**

As the light in the Jedi's eyes died out, John grudgingly took her weapon. He no longer felt just distaste for the Order anymore. He felt genuine respect for their courage. He took her lightsaber for future study, and walked over to the terminal.

"You done, Cortana? We still have a mission."

After about 3 seconds, Cortana's avatar popped up.

"Done. All files concerning the Republic, the war, military strongholds, fleet positions, capital cities. Everything. Their security could have been taken out by a caveman with a rock."

"Good for you. Anything that helps with this mission in particular?" he inquired, looking at the turbolift doors like he expected someone to pop out of them.

Cortana held up a digital finger, and waited. Then, the hum of the engines seemed to die down.

"What did you do?"

Shut down all engines, and comms. Turbolift is still operational, so you can finish it off."

"Then let's get going." said John, holding his hand above the terminal, downloading Cortana again. He stepped into the turbolift, and it accelerated upwards, to the bridge.

**Edwin II System, OSG Space**

**UNSC Daedalus Class Warship - _Temperament_**

**Admiral Thomas Lasky**

While Master Chief was fighting on the flagship, Lasky and Roland coordinated the actual battle in space. The OSG fleet was down to 43 ships, including the _Temperament_. The Republic Fleet was down to around 78, thanks to a tactic that one of the Sangheili commanders had pulled off. THe commander had taken several ships and slingshotted himself and several other ships around the moon to the backside of the Republic Fleet. The magnetic fields had prevented detection, and once the small group had launched their nukes, they had transitioned into Slipspace. Republic losses continued to climb, but both Roland and Lasky knew that it came at a large price. 38 ships of various classes had been destroyed in the furious fighting, but when they saw the enemy flagship from out of formation, with its engines dark, they knew that MC and Cortana had been successful in their mission.

"Sir! Enemy seems to be reorganizing what few ships they have left!" called out Roland, who was commanding the fighter squads on the _Temperament_.

"React as you see fit. Make sure no one aims for the flagship. I don't want Chief going dying when his ship got hit by a energy projector.

He watched as fighters danced through the black, streams of blue/orange projectiles cut by blue lances from the Republic fighters. While they were outnumbered, but they had better fighters. He sighed and continued to lead the dance of death that was playing around him, thousands ready to die for their faction.

All of a sudden, the Republic fleet regained their coordination, and he immediately knew that someone had supplemented command. He traced the ships until he located an _Acclamator _in the center of the fleet. It was the one coordinating the rest of the enemy.

Lasky grinned. "Roland, see that _Acclamator_?

Roland's avatar turned from whatever he had been doing.

He looked at where Lasky was pointing. "Yeah I see it. Looks like its in charge now."

"Exactly. We need someone to negotiate surrender. Disable that ship."

"Yes Sir."

**Edwin II System, OSG Space**

**Republic _Acclamator - _Class Warship - _Revolution_**

**Captain Lyett  
**

Lyett was a veteran captain of the Clone Wars. He had fought the CIS across many a star system, routing them as he went. He despised the OSG for their actions, and wanted nothing more than their destruction. When Yularen's ship had gone dark, he had followed protocol and assumed command of the fleet. Sadly, they no longer had thenumbers advantage, and they were outgunned. As his fleet regrouped, the remaining OSG fleets encircled them, main guns pointing right at them.

_How do I get us out of this. I can't surrender. I don't want to die. What to do?_

He then decided that a 'tactical retreat' was the best course of action.

"Navigations! Plot a course away from here. We need to warn the Republic!

"But sir, the engine still needs to be repaired, after that shot we took!"

"Do it NOW!"

"But-"

Lyett crossed the bridge and grabbed the officer by the neck, shocking everyone on the bridge into silence. "You will plot that jump _now_, or else we will all die."

The officer cowered under the Captain's glare. "Y - Yes sir."

Still glaring, the Captain crossed back to the window. He heard the nav officer shakily calling out the timer till the jump commenced.

5...

4...

3...

2...

Just before they jumped though, a brilliant white light enveloped the ship, electricity crackling throughout their instruments.

"Report!"

"Sir, it seems like they hit us with an EMP. Non-nuclear, if I had to guess. We're open for attack." said the officer glumly as he slumped back into his seat.

"Sir, all we have left are comms and engines.

Lyett considered his options when the comms officer called out. "Sir, the Enemy Flagship is hailing us! Orders?"

He sighed. A surrender request, to be sure. "Put it on." He said, with an air of defeat.

The screen lit up with a view of the OSG flagship. To Lyett's surprise, while the ship was larger, the bridge was more compact and had numerous holographic displays filling the room. There were far fewer officers, but unlike the hopeless and helpless crew of the _Revolution_, this crew was of clear, cool efficiency. The young Admiral in the room then spoke up.

"I think you already know what this is about, but I'll say it anyways. Surrender, power down all weapons, and move into the planet's atmosphere. Do NOT attempt anything, unless you want to end up as a cloud of atoms."

Lyett's mind raced. Moving into the planet's atmosphere would make it near impossible to execute a hyperspace jump. He still wanted revenge against the OSG for their crimes. What to do?

Then it struck him. The OSG colony planetside. They would serve for the revenge part. And he had learned that hyperspace jumps were possible in-atmo, but could only be done once, because friction with the atmosphere would damage the ship beyond a second jump. With the plan formulated in his head, he looked up witha mask of sadness and surrender.

"We accept your offer. Just so you know, our engine is damaged, so it will give off some radiation spikes."

The OSG Admiral looked relieved. "Acknowledged."

With that the ships moved into the planets atmo. Once the feed was cut, Lyett turned to the Weapons Officer. "I want you to fire at a target for me. Nav Officer, prepare for a jump to Alderaan. That's the closest system."

"Sir, whats my target?"

The Wep Officer's eyes widened as Lyett pointed to the target.

**Edwin II System, OSG Space**

**Republic _Venator_ \- Class Star Destroyer - _Unstoppable_**

**Jedi Knight Aayla Secura (Just as Shaak Ti dies)  
**

Aayla woke up from her sleep in the medical bay, and saw Yularen standing over her.

She immediately noticed his forlorn expression. She knew that the battle was not going well.

"What happened?"

Yularen sighed. "The battle is going as well as planned. We lost almost all of our ships. So many fighters are gone. We haven't even been able to land any troops on the ground. Those orbital defense stations are a menace. Plus, an intruder is on board. Shaak Ti and Rex are dealing with him or her.

It was then that a hammer blow in the Force struck her. She had gotten up, but she keeled over again, much to Yularen's concern.

"What happened?!"

Aayla, still shaking her head from the blow, looked up. A sad, somewhat scared look had filled her face.

"Shaak Ti and Rex. They have been killed. That soldier killed them. He's coming.

Yularen's expression darkened.

"Get to the bridge. There are escape pods there. It's also the safest place. Let's go."

**5 minutes later**

Once Aayla had told the bridge about who was coming, the few clone guards had all lined up in the center of the room, and had pointed their guns at the door to the turbolift. An indicator showed that someone was coming up. Tension in the room was mounting, with several officers hiding in their pits.

Then the door opened.

And there was no one there.

Then, as the clones looked at eachother, one noticed a slight blur in the corner. But before he could do anything, a black grenade with orange lines coursing along it flew out and landed at one of the clones feet. They all knew what it was.

"GRENADE!"

But none of the clones were able to move fast enough to avoid being vaporized by the grenade. Aayla felt heat sweep over her head as she and Yularen ducked under console. When she looked up, the supersoldier was standing in the middle of the room, pointing an arm rifle at her and Yularen.

"As per the Prisoner of War Act, I hereby place you, Jedi Knight Aayla Secura, and Admiral Whullf Yularen under custody of the OSG Military.

Aayla was frightened, but tried to remained calm. _"Get to the escape pod. I'll cover you, Yularen."_

Then she replied to the Soldier's threat. "Are you sure?"

She used the Force to pull down a panel from the ceiling, which blocked the burst of light from the Spartan's rifle. Yularen leaped to the escape pod, and closed the hatches, and ejected.

The Spartan didn't seem very worried. "You realize that a Stealth Prowler is waiting to retrieve him, right? He won't even make it far before capture."

Aayla looked out the window at Yularen's life pod. "You're lying." she said as she watched the pod move farther. She was about to turn back, when to her shock, a ship seemingly materialized in space, with it's bay doors open. Two massive hooks shot out and captured the pod, dragging it back into the stealth ship.

John smirked inside of his suit. "I don't lie, Jedi. Now surrender or be terminated."

Aayla knew that she couldn't let the OSG capture her. So she instead grinned. "Not today.

She Force-pushed him, distracting him. As she dove into the escape pod, John, in desperation, hurled his Energy sword at her. Before she could put her left leg into the pod, the blade lopped off her lower leg.

As she dove into the pod and ejected, she didn't even try to stop the pain. She screamed as she crawled to the bacta pad and slapped it onto the stump that was once her lower leg.

The Unggoy on the Prowler watched angrily as her pod disappeared into Hyperspace, while they were securing Yularen's life pod.

**Edwin II System, OSG Space**

**Republic _Venator_ \- Class Star Destroyer - _Unstoppable_**

**John 117/Cortana  
**

John banged his gauntleted fist onto a terminal. "Dammit! I let her get away!"

"Oh don't worry Chief. If she doesn't die, then all she can do is warn them. There isn't much of a problem. Plus you still finished the mission." reminded Cortana as Chief walked back to the turbolift to get to the hangar for extraction.

John sighed. "You're right, and I guess it was good to strike a bit of fear into the hearts of those Jedi.

Cortana laughed a little. "Quite true John. Quite true."

**Edwin II System, OSG Space**

**UNSC Daedalus Class Warship - _Temperament_**

**Admiral Thomas Lasky**

As the remaining Republic ships moved into position in the atmosphere of the planet, Lasky couldn't help but feel a foreboding current ripple through him. He was suspicious of the Republic Admiral who had just surrendered like that. He was planning something, and Lasky didn't like it. As the ships lumbered to their positions, he saw that the now-flagship was shielded by another ship.

As he watched, Roland urgently materialized behind him and almost yelled.

"Sir, MASSIVE ENERGY SPIKES EMANATING FROM THAT FLAGSHIP! THEY'RE GONNA FIRE!"

"Where!? What is the target!?"

But it was too late. As they watched, the flagship unloaded a salvo of blue bolts onto the surface of the planet. Towards the colony. 400,000 people.

They could only watch helplessly as small explosions dotted the planet, thousands of tons of power hitting the colony.

The crew on the _Temperament_ were speechless. Not since the Covenant War had orbital bombardment been used, except on planet's with large Flood populations. Now, they had faced a cowardly commander who had done the same out of revenge.

"Lasky? What should we do?" asked Roland, shock and rage simmering beneath his calm tone.

Lasky's face was a mask of sheer anger. "Burn them all. No survivors."

Multiple suns dotted the atmosphere as the 33 remaining OSG ships shot down all of the Repulic ships, except for 4, which had jumped to hyperspace along with the flagship.

**Edwin II System, OSG Space**

**_OSG Joint - Species Void_ \- Class Prowler **

**John 117/Cortana  
**

John and Cortana had seen the bombardment. John especially, after seeing 30 years of war against genocidal enemies, was angry.

"Don't think this war will differ much in our enemy's attitude." said John as the Prowler flew to the _Temperament._

The Sangheili sitting across from them nodded. "Right you are, Demon, but these enemies are without honour. Not that the Old Covenant was."

**Edwin II System, OSG Space**

**UNSC Daedalus Class Warship - _Temperament_**

**Admiral Thomas Lasky**

"Roland... prepare for Slipspace jump. We need to report back to reach about this."

"Aye Aye Sir."

And with that, 33 silver portals opened, and the OSG fleet moved into the howling black, but to return this time.

* * *

_**Author's Note #5 - Yeah...**_

_**Hey there. Sorry 'bout the late chapter. School work and such slowed me. The next chappie will be about reactions to the battle, and will be somewhat shorter. Hope you like it, and this one, and thanks so much for all of the reviews. They really help. Look forward to other universes making appearances. This is PVonTuckIII, happy reading!**_


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

**Repercussions**

_**Author's Note #6 - Apologies and stuff:**_

_**First of all, thank you to all of those who continued to read what I wrote. I still get alerts on my email saying people are reading. Thank you everyone. Next, I want to formally apologize for the lack of writing for the last few months. I haven't had much time to write in between an ever-busier school schedule, and the like, and eventually it just kinda slipped from my [forgetful] mind. So, I'm sorry. However, to make it up to you guys, I am releasing several chapters at once to make it up to you guys! So, without further ado, let's continue on!**_

* * *

**Epsilon Eridani System**

**Reach (Terraformed)**

**3:00 PM Standard Universal TimeA**

The city of New Alexandria was once more a jewel in the Reach landscape. After it's reconstruction was completed in 2610, it was subsequently recolonized by 2615. Now, not only was it the home to some of the largest companies and defense contracters in OSG space, it was also capital of the OSG itself. Under the shadow of the 5 kilometer tall headquarters lay one of the first joint-species city, where Human, Sangheili, Unggoy, and even Brute members could conduct business, talk to eachother, and simply live their lives in peace. However, despite it's peaceful facade, the city, and indeed the planet itself was, as before, a military fortress, with over 50 orbital guns in place, multiple groundside gun batteries protecting the cities, and divisions of Sentinels and soldiers ready to go at a moment's notice. And as of late, the military industry at Reach had been revved up, shipyards doubling their production rates, cadets being graduated out of the many academies across the planet. And now, in the aftermath of the Battle of Edwin II, OSG HIGHCOM was being spurred to action as well.

**Reach**

**OSG Headquarters, HIGHCOM Tower**

**3:30 PM Standard Universal Time**

"We have to go on the offensive! Crush their bodies into pulp! Grind their bones into dust!" shouted Kerberos, the Brute representative on HIGHCOM. "They dare to attack our world! I demand to know what the retaliation will be!"

"Patience Kerberos. Vengeance will come in it's own time." stated the Sangheili representative. Gal'en 'Sarum. Unlike previous holders of his position, Gal'en was unusually calm and collected for a Sangheili, prefering wise strategy over the prideful tactics of his predecessors. And even more unusually, he had once been a part of OSG Intelligence, which was rare for Sangheili. Nonetheless, his ideas and wit made him a valuable addition to the group.

At that moment the Human and Lekgolo (represented by Mgaelekgolo) representatives walked into the room, obviously having just finished a discussion.

The Human member, Benjamin Abrams, was a seasoned tacticion who had served on the frontlines of the H/C War for at least a decade, a neatly combed head of black hair combined with dark skin making look somewhat sinister, though many of his friends knew him to be quite jovial when the time called for it. "Ikon and I have just finished our talks. Humanity, and the Lekgolo, have decided on a proposal for a course of action for our current predicament. We propose one last message of peace. A final attempt to stop the War. However, should that fail, as Ikon here is certain, we will begin rearmament. All fleets are to be mobilized, re-armed, re-equipped, and made ready for war. All colonies will undergo the necessary precautions.

Notably, Ikon here suggested the construction of underground bunkers for civilians, in the event that another Republic Commander goes crazy like in Edwin II. We don't want that happening again. All Spec-Ops units, especially the Spartans and Ghosts, will be mobilized and made ready for any necessary mission." With his part complete, Ben sat and looked around the now silent table.

It was the Unggoy rep that broke the silence. "I for one have been reviewing video feed from Edwin II. I noticed we seem to have the upper hand in terms of technology, and weapon systems, most notably longe range ones. However, the enemy has the numbers to make that advantage null. In terms of ground combat, it seemed no Republic ship made it close enough to deploy their troops. However, as OSG Intel has revealed, Spartan 117 was sent on a spec-ops mission in an attempt to capture the enemy Admiral, and send a message to the Jedi.

While I wouldn't consider it fair to the clone soldiers on the ship to compare them to a Spartan II," light chuckles went across the group at this. "I would say that our troops won't have any huge disadvantage in ground combat, other than being outnumbered."

"So in my opinion, I feel like we should try for diplomacy more than war, although I can understand why the Republic would refuse peace at this point."

Keberos stood up. "So are we declaring war, or what? We're just gonna wait until they tell us? I say we launch a pre-emptive strike on their maj-"

"Kerberos sit down and calm down. Their are other ways to do this. Believe me when I say that if it comes to it, we will fully back the war proposal. However, why waste resources on another war when we can try for peace?" said an exasperated Ikon, representative for the Lekgolo.

"You just killed one of those Jedi freaks. The council no matter what you think of them, will not take that lightly. I didn't spend 3 decades trying to bring my species together without learning that if kill someone in another clan, that's like painting a bullseye on your chest and standing on a platform with no armour. The Republic, no matter how cowardly or idiotic they are, aren't going to take this lying down."

Gal'en spoke up. "As Sangheili representative, I for one support the given proposal. Wait for a response, and if things go south, prepare for war. I can't see any better option. You have my support, Ben and Ikon. Better to test diplomacy, and then take further measures, than be rash and fight a war that could be avoided."

"Mine as well. The Unggoy have your back." squeaked the Unggoy representative.

All heads now turned to Kerberos, obviously waiting for his decision. He seemed fairly disgruntled that they were willing to wait, but muttered out something that sounded like an agreement, and sat down.

Benjamin Abrams stood up. "It seems we are in agreement. We will attempt to avert further war with the Republic, but if, or when, those talks fail, we will mobilize. This meeting ajourned. Dismissed."

All 5 members of HIGHCOM scrapped their chairs backwards and left the room. While the AI representative, Legion, had not attended due to more important matters, he had already discussed the matter with the Human and Lekgolo reps, and after consenseus had been reached within the AI's themselves, he had agreed to the proposal. As of now, all AI's were being self-upgraded with military protocols and cyber-warfare packages, just in case. After all, you can never be too careful.

**Core Worlds**

**Coruscant, Capital of the Republic**

**Jedi Temple**

Normally, the Jedi Temple's interior was a peaceful, calm abode, a serene environment for the Jedi that lived their. However, today, chaos took place on it's highest level, where the disheveled Jedi Council debated the recent happenings in the Battle of Edwin II. The fact that one of their most experienced Jedi had fallen was a cause for great concern.

"This is deeply worrying. Shaak Ti was one of our most veteran members. The fact that one of these... Spartans... took her out, along with Captain Rex, is highly worrying." exclaimed Ki-Adi-Mundi.

"Not only that, the soldier managed to wipe out the entire clone complement on the ship, and gravely injure Master Secura. And not to mention, capture Admiral Yularen. Definetly not good." added Obi-Wan. He and Anakin had been invited to attend the emergency meeting.

The council once again erupted in discussion at this news, while Master Yoda sat quietly, contemplating the recent turn of events. His musings, along with the ongoing discussions, were cut short when Master Windu walked in. The dark man stood in front of the council.

"There has been news. Master Secura's life-pod was found exiting Hyperspace near Alderaan. The pod also happened to contain recordings of the entire fight on the ship. I think this will be most useful in learning more about our attackers." said Windu, as he inserted the data chip. The council fell silent as the holo-projectors flickered to life, and played their disturbing images...

**Orion Arm, Unknown Sector**

**Unknown Planet**

**ONI Res/Recon Vessel, Eye of Minds**

Dr. Catherine Halsey, despite the 'late' hour, was still up and awake, tapping out her findings on her tacpad. She had been assigned to the _Eye of Minds _as a civilian contracter. A few weeks ago, an ONI Slipspace probe had picked up a strange signal. It's identity had matched nothing. Not human, not OSG, not Forerunner, not anything. They had never found anything like it. However, BB had determined from its structure that it was a distress call. A beacon.

And so Halsey, an expert at such things, had been assigned to the research vessel looking for the origin of the signal. They had spent 3 days combing deep space until they reached a world. A garden world to be precise. Native animals were present, but no intelligent life was found. The signal seemingly was emanating from just inside the crust. From this, Halsey had hypothesised that whatever was sending the signal was inside a deep cave of some sort.

After a day of searching the caverns, they had finally found something. A huge door, mechanical in makeup. Normally this wouldn't have been a cause for alarm but strangely enough, the door was rather intricate. Gold filigree and smooth shells of silver adorned its surface. In the middle of the door, at eye level, was what Halsey figured was the keyhole. A circular depression with absolutely nothing in it. Due to the time that they found it, the team had decided to get back at it in the morning.

And so, Halsey though. A distress signa indicated that whatever species or individual had sent the signal was in some form of trouble. That meant that a fireteam of Spartans would be accompanying them.

She sighed as she shut off her tacpad and changed into nightclothes. As she lay there in bed, she realized something. The tune of the of message. It was almost... musical. Like a mother, singing to her child as they slept. Yet, something was missing. She could feel it. Somewhere at the back of her mind, she realized that whatever lay behind that door could either be a blessing, or a monster. She prayed as she slept that it was the former.

**Orion Arm, Unknown Sector**

**Unknown Planet**

**Unknown Location**

As Halsey slept, the being in the cryopod stirred. The sensors in his resting place had picked up activity. That could not be good. As the cryopod made preparations to open, the mind of the being awoke. The knowledge of the Orokin flew through it like birds in the woods. The power of a thousand suns warmed his muscles.

For the first time in a year, the ancient warrior stirred.

...

_**Authors Note #7: More stuff:**_

_**Again, I want to apologize for my lack of writing, as life has been getting increasingly stressful. Sorry this chapter isn't too long, but things will get heated the next few chapters as negotiations take place between the various factions. Yes, I said factions. For those who know what the last paragraph was referring to, I hope you like it! The next few chapters are already on their way, and I hope that you guys enjoy them!  
**_

_**Till next time! **_

_**-PVonTuckIII**_


	5. Intermission and Author's Requests

**Intermission:**

* * *

_**Author's Note # [8?]:**_

_**Hey guys, this is just a break chapter. Chapters 4 and 5 will come within the next 2-3 weeks. However, I have a request. **_

_**First of all, for those who didn't get the teaser at the end of Ch. 3, Warframe is one of the factions I'm bringing into the story. I'm a hard-core Tenno, and love the game. **_

_**I need names for the Tenno in the cryopod, who was shown at the end of Ch. 3, I need names for 7 Tenno Councilors, and names for 4 other Tenno. **_

_**Note, I said Tenno. Not Warframes. As per canon, the Warframes are controlled by the Tenno, seperate beings. Since this would be a headache to deal with, from this point, the Tenno will speak through the Warframes. PM me if you're confused or otherwise need help.**_

**_Apart from that, have a good one guys, and stay tuned!_**

**_-PVonTuckIII_**


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 6**

**Friends... or Foes?**

_**Author's Note #9: Stuff**_

_**S'up guys, hope you're all doing well. This is the 6th Chapter of Upholders of the Mantle. The big thing about this is that it properly introduces a new faction: Warframe. For those who don't know, Warframe is a F2P Sci-Fi 3rdP Action Shooter available on PC, XBox One, and PS4. It has a very mysterious lore and complex relations. I won't go too into depth about it, but I figured it would be a good addition to the story. Hope you guys enjoy!**_

* * *

**Orion Arm, Unknown Sector**

**Unknown Planet**

**Extraterrestrial Cavern**

The ONI research team, after an uneventful breakfast, had descended to the depths of the cavern in order to properly analyze the room. Again, they were confronted by the strangely ornate, mysteriously confounding, door.

"Very interesting," murmered Halsey as she traced a finger over a golden protrusion. "Whatever species built this must have had a taste for grandeur."

Another ONI scientist, Zaine Monroe, huffed. "We aren't here to study their architecture, Dr. Halsey. We need to confirm whether whoever built this is a threat to us. And if they are... that's what Fireteam Siren is here for." Tall, pale, and infuriating, Zaine was one of the head xenobiologists in ONI. He annoyed Halsey on an hourly basis, for no reason other than to annoy her.

Of course, he was referring to the 4 Spartans who were assigned to the research team to protect the group. Halsey, as always, preferred her Spartan IIs, but had a growing admiration for these ones, especially young Gabriel Thorne, whose company she enjoyed greatly. He was like the son she never had. Either way, from the records she had read, Siren was an efficient, quiet team who always got the job done.

Halsey rolled her eyes, and continued to examine the door. She came back to the circular indentation. She ran her hand along the edge, and to her shock, golden ripples appeared wherever she touched the smooth golden metal.

"Dr. Halsey," said Spartan Michael, in a warning tone. "Be careful. We don't know who ma-" at that moment, Halsey pressed her palm into the center of the golden depression. Before anyone could stop her she pressed her hand more forcefully. Golden light emanated, and a deep vibration ran through the air. Then, with the eyes of everyone on it, the door slowly slid open.

**Perseus Arm, Sector 001**

**Origin System**

**Larunda Relay**

The Tenno relays were beautiful structures. Powerful, high-tech, and durable, they had weathered many storms, from the attack of the Sentients in the Old War, to the more recent Fomorian Assault. Larunda Relay, which housed the Tenno High Council, was one of the most well-protected. However, today, the normally efficient air that permeated the Relay was split by a new discovery.

"You say the signal came from the Orion Arm?" inquired Councilor Jonas. Technically, Jonas was the name of the Tenno controlling the Frost Warframe. The vocal projectors in the 'Frame projected his voice.

"It seems to be one of the Tenno we sent on a scouting mission a year ago. The one that never reported back." said the drone. Dozens of these drones patrolled the relay, monitering communications and weapon systems.

The Councilor had a thoughtful face on. If a Tenno had awakened, or had been... disturbed... from their slumber, then it was a cause for great concern. They had to investigate, assuming that the signal was actually Tenno in origin, and not a clever fake.

"If we do decide to send a team, then who do we send? Such a large Void Jump takes energy. We can't afford to send multiple teams across. Only one squad can go. The best."

"Infinity Squad then." declared a new voice.

The self-debating Councilors looked up to see Councilor Hyrus enter. He was one of the first Tenno to achieve awakening, and his Warframes were all veterans of the Gradivus Conflict.

"They have proven themselves time and time again. Operation Tubemen. Shadow Debt. Countless others. They are ideal for this op." He stated through his Frost Prime as he walked up to the platform.

"So it is decided then." stated Jonas. The Councilor nodded.

"Then this meeting is adjourned. I will brief Infinity on their mission." said Hyrus, turning on his heel and walking away. The chamber was once again silent.

**Orion Arm, Unknown Sector**

**Unknown Planet**

**Extraterrestrial Cavern**

The door slowly slid open. Rifles raised, the Spartans entered first, checking to make sure that the room was clear of all hostiles. Sweeping the room, Michael beckoned the rest of the scientific team inside. After a moments hesitation, they entered, and they all caught their breaths.

The room was tall; the ceiling was at least 50 feet tall from their measurements. Like the door, golden curves adorned the room everywhere, carving graceful arcs dancing through the air. The ground was also smooth and mirror-smooth, showing their nervous reflections rippling along. However, eventually, everyone's astonished gaze was drawn to the main attraction at the center-back of the room.

Embedded into the wall, approximately 30 feet above the floor, was something that reminded Halsey of Old Earth pipe organs. Huge, golden rods lay parallel to each other to form what was almost some kind of crest. It was heavy, ornate, and obviously somewhat honourary, like a tribute to a great hero. In the center of the construct lay a transcluscent ovular pod of some kind.

"What is that?" inquired one of the junior scientists nervously looking at the pod. The glazed surface of the glass didn't offer any details, but they could see a somewhat dark shape behind it. Then one of the Spartans, Barnes exclaimed something.

"Hey guys, look what I found," he called, kneeling at the ground near the construct and pod. Barnes was obviously holding what seemed to be weapons. A rifle, and a pistol. Both of which, like the door and room, where quite ornate, especially for weapons.

"Should we keep these for analysis, Doc?" inquired Barnes, to Halsey.

"Yes, yes." she muttered as she continued to attempt to find a way to access the pod. Just as she was wandering the area underneath the golden pipe organ thing, she stepped on a circular pad, which immediately sunk a few centimeters into the ground. A rumble ran through the chamber, causing her to back away.

"Everyone, _stand back!_" commanded Michael as he and his team pointed their rifles at the pod as the rumbling escalated, and then, slowly, stopped. And then, with everyone's eyes on it, the pod unfolded like some ancient flower, and the being inside fell out, and with a bone-jarring thud, hit the ground, and lay there.

For a few stunned seconds, nothing happened. "No-one move." whispered Spartan Eva over the comms. Slowly, the four Spartans advanced on the inert inhabitant of the pod.

While they did so, Halsey's keen eye picked quick details. The being, like everything they had seen, seemed to be wearing some kind of ornate armour. At the same time, it was almos skin-tight and utilitarian. Not as bulky as the Aegis-II armour worn by the Spartans. Then, it happened.

For a few seconds, her brain had to buffer because of the speed at which the events occurred. She barely even got a warning out to the advancing Spartans. She saw the fingers on it's right hand twitch and flex minutely, and it's head lift ever so slightly.

"Michael watch ou-." she began, about to lunge for the weapons they found.

And then all hell broke lose.

The creature dashed forwards so quickly she could have sworn she saw an afterimage. A trail of blue particles emanated from wherever it moved. It lunged straight for Michael. For a second, she thought it was going to pounce on him, ram him, or maul him. Instead, with shocking grace, at the last second, it pivoted on it's right foot, grabbed Michael's arm, and hurled him... _60 feet? _All the way to the back of the room. With a sickening crash, he slammed against the wall and fell, grunting with pain.

Barnes and Eva were turning their rifles when the being turned, flipped Barnes off its shoulder into the ground, grabbed his rifle, and smashed it against Eva's helmet, momentarily disorienting her. It then planted it's knee into her stomach and punched her so hard that she flipped backwards, shields overloaded, into the wall.

The last Spartan, Lewis, managed to fire his armour's hard-light rifle into the creature. 3 bursts of three deadly rounds slammed into the creature's backside. Halsey expected the rounds to, at the very least, damage the armour and give the Spartan enough time to unload more rounds, but to her surprise, a blue shield appeared, hugging it's skin, deflecting the rounds.

It was over before it even began. In two strides, it stepped forwards, slid under Lewis' legs, tripped, and disarmed him. Lewis, probably in a smart move, made no attempt to fight.

For a few seconds, the being stared with its faceless head at her and the rest of the research team. She thought that it was going to kill them too, until Michael, who had apparently recovered, tried to charge the warrior with his armour's hard-light sword. It turned to face him, reached to it's back, and to her surprise, a sword of it's own materialized. It drew the almost ornamental sword, and with the grace that could only be achieved from centuries of practice and experience, it sidestepped Michael's lunge and thrust the sword under his chin.

Michael, for a few seconds, looked like he'd rather die than surrender, but then reluctantly retracted the blade. The being tilted its head, and then lowered it's own sword. For a few awkward seconds, no-one spoke or moved the Spartans all got to their feet, defenseive, but not aggressive. Finally, Zaine spoke.

"What are you?" he croaked out, somewhat skeptical as to whether the being could understand him. The warrior looked at him, seemingly taking him in, and spoke four words in a deep voice that echoed power, that would change the OSG and the UNSC forever.

"I am a Tenno."

**Perseus Arm, Sector 001**

**Origin System**

**Larunda Relay, Hangar**

Tenno Landing-Craft were constantly bustling in and out of the hangar. Every so often, one of Baro Ki'Teers transports would fly in, carrying exotic wares from the Void and beyond. Now, in a more isolated section, 4 Tenno and their Landing Crafts gathered, preparing to embark on a critical mission.

"Oy, laddie. You got that Vaykor Hek I asked you for?" Edward, the Tenno behind the grey and orange Vauban, was a jovial, and intelligent one. He was one of the first to discover himself within the moon, leading to his awakening. With a penchant for shotguns and explosives, he was Infinity's best tactician and demo expert. He also apparently was of Scottish descent, as indicated by his accent. Though the Tenno only looked like they were 18, they were in fact thousands of years old, kept alive through Transference.

"Not yet bro. Meridian's trading routes are under heavy stress. I heard that they delayed it for another week." Jake, piloting a Rhino, was the teams juggernaut. His Rhino Warframe had been custom-designed to take huge amounts of fire.

As the two bantered, several drones loaded their landing craft, a Liset and Scimitar respectively. The trip would require the Landing Craft to be equipped with extra fuel cells for the Void Jump, and Ordis, the AI whose fragments permeated every Landing-Craft, would be upgraded with additional ECM subsystems.

As they were talking, Traven flew her own Landing Ship in from the other side of the Relay. Commanding an Equinox, she was probably the most bipolar of the entire team. One minute she could be perfectly fine, speaking softly and being helpfully, to going into a full rage and giving a verbal smackdown to anyone who annoyed her. On the battlefield, she was no different. One minute she would be healing allies and putting enemies into an induced coma, and next she would be ripping their bodies in half with malevolent energy. Powerful and unpredictable.

Finally the final member of the team joined them, after rigorous training in the Conclave. Loren, master of the Ivara Warframe, was the team's sniper and scout. Her 'Frame allowed her to make longe-range shots easily, with her weapon of choice being the Daikyu Longbow. Her teammates would testify that they'd never seen anything as scary as a bow in her hands.

The four friends and squadmates met up on the platform that led to their individual landing craft.

"So... a Tenno signal all the way in the Orion Arm? How could that happen?" asked Traven, as she polished her Fang Prime daggers.

"Joyriders who lost their map?" suggested Jake. He slowly flexed his arm, testing his Warframe's reflexes. Mech-Organic fibers in the arm, powered by Void energy, flexed along with him.

"More likely someone from that scouting expedition from a year ago. The one where half our warlords and Primes left to to check for further Orokin settlements. Probably one of those guys went into stasis because of foreign threat, and just recently started hollering." stated Edward, transmuting a grenade out of thin air, before dissapating it back into energy.

The thought that a possible Warlord or Prime Wielder was still out there, possibly in danger, was a serious one. If it was true, then they had to hasten their schedule. Under no circumstance could someone of such importance be left to die.

"Well let's get going. We aren't doing anyone any good sitting here." exclaimed Loren as she calibrated her Daikyu and placed it on her back. She stood and left for her craft.

"She's right. Get to to your ships. Ed, inform the Council that we are departing." said Jake as he left for his own ship.

"Got it boss."

With that, Infinity Squad left, ready to journey into the void, to bring back their lost brother.

**Perseus Arm**

**Galactic Republic**

**Venator Wolfpack 501**

Obi-wan paced the deck of the Venator. They had word that an important OSG scientist, one of their most brillant personnel, was in this system, all the way in the Perseus Arm. The 501st Legion was to capture her, any personnel with her, and in the process, acquire whatever they had been sent to find. It had to be important if they wanted to travel all this way to find it.

"Happy thoughts, Master?" joked Anakin, as he walked onto the bridge. Kenobi had marvelled that Anakin had already gotten over the death of Rex, a dear friend. However, a part of him knew that Anakin was happy because he would get the chance to get revenge against the people who had killed him. And Kenobi knew the dangers of revenge.

"No thoughts at all, young one." he countered, as he gazed out at the blur of hyperspace. In a few minutes, they would come to the system where the OSG science team was reported to be investigating their find.

For the next few minutes, there was no talk except for the customary chatter among the bridge crew. Anakin had disassembled his lightsaber for routine maintenance. Obi-Wan silently meditated on the their mission.

"Disengaging hyperdrive! Arriving near the orbit of the 3rd planet from the star." called out one of the officers. The muted colours of hyperspace gave way to the bright colours of realspace. 4 planets orbited a brilliant sun.

"Our objective is on the 2nd planet, is it not?" asked Kenobi as he looked over sensory data.

"Yes master. I think I'll head down to the hangar. Prep my fighter for launch. Call me if you need me." said Anakin as he walked over to the turbolift.

At that moment, a spike of panic raced through Obi-Wan. Something had just disturbed the Force. Sent ripples through it.

At the exact same time, the officer monitering the subspace sensors jolted in his seat. "Sir, there was a momentary spike of radiation near the edge of the system. It... vanished right after. Strange." he murmered as he looked over his screens again. "I can't find it again, sir."

Kenobi frowned. Something was not right. He would have liked to investigate, but they were on a schedule. "Ignore it for now. We have more pressing matters to deal with."

With that, he turned for the turbolift, to go ready himself for war.

**Orion Arm, Uknown Sector**

**Unknown System**

**Tenno Expedition**

4 landing craft warped into the system, the effects of Void Jump travel wearing off. A momentary spike of void radiation emanated, a glowing white film around the craft, before dissapating. Ordis immediately locked onto the signal, which was emanating from the second planet from the sun.

"Ordis, anything anomalous?" asked Jake, as he performed a manual check on his ship's systems and confirmed that everyone else's was working too.

"Yes Operator. Near the third planet are three large ships. Corvette designation, by our standards. Armament is unknown. Hull composition is unknown. Inhabitants are unknown. However, they are on a course to intercept the planet from which our signal is emanating. I advise we reach the planet first just in case."

"Thank you Ordis." Jake, who was not controlling any frame at the moment, altered the view so he could see the ships for himself. They were small, compared to the average Grineer Galleon, or Corpus freighter. Triangular, grey, with a bright red stripe. He also noticed that what appeared to be a bridge was elevated high above the rest of the ship. A confounding design problem.

Either way, the fact that a faction that was not familiar was here was worrying. Hopefully they wouldn't turn out hostile.

"_Hey Jake? Ordis just told me something else." _Traven's voice crackled through the communication's panel.

"What is it? Something wrong?"

"_Unknown. Apart from those ships, there seems to be another ship just above the planet. Design and aesthetics indicate it is of a different faction than those three. It's small, bigger than our landing crafts though. It seems to be a stealth ship, if its design is anything to go by. Whoever used the ship just left. I've found scattered radio signals from planet-side. They're very faint. Probably personnel level communications. I think they've found the signal too."_

_"Loren here. I think it's best we do a HALO jumps with our Archwings. Ordis can keep our ships cloaked in LPO _**(****Low Planetary Orbit)**_ while we investigate."_

_"Amen__ to that." _said Edward's voice.

Jake contemplated this for a while. Archwing LPO was generally not performed due to the fact that Archwings weren't designed for atmospheric flight. They were for space combat, and if necessary, underwater. But atmospheric conditions obviated their usage. They might be their only chance at this point though at reaching the surface without detection.

"Alright. I approve. Let's get going." with that, he turned off the communicator, and had his Rhino head down into his Orbiter Compartment. He made sure his Odonata Archwing was functioning and undamaged, and that the ammo factories in his Imperator Vandal minigun were working.

After his checks were complete, he stepped onto the arsenal plate, and called out, "Ordis, could I have my Soma, Telos Akbolto, and Galatine?" Without reply, the three weapons materialized into their respective holster locations on his back, before vanishing. "Done, Operator. We will be approaching the designated drop point in 2 minutes. Jake nodded, and went into the drop chamber, ready for the drop of hundreds of kilometres.

They had a mission to do.

**Orion Arm, Unknown Sector**

**Unknown Planet**

**Extraterrestrial Cavern**

The words echoed around the chamber, greeted by a shocked silence. Halsey, while terrified, had a budding sense of curiousity. Tenno? Was that it's species? Or make? Or designation?

These and a million other questions raced through her mind, but were immediately halted when the being spoke again.

"I can see that you are confused. And afraid. Firstly, I must apologize for my actions. My cryopod alerted me to the presence of unknowns in my vicinity. My natural reaction was to subdue you. I can assure you that I will take no violent actions against you unless needed."

The Spartans didn't look very convinced, nor did Zaine. However, now Halsey's fear was gone. She stepped forward slightly, causing the 'Tenno' to turn it's head towards her.

She mustered her thoughts, and spoke: "Who are you? You called yourself Tenno, but none of us have heard you. What species are you? Are you a sol-."

"A great a deal of questions. I will answer them in time. However, I must ask a more important question. Who are _you_? You are not Orokin (at this, most of the people there tilted their heads, confused). You are human, that much is obvious. Where am I?"

At this, Zaine stepped forward. "We are a scientific team from the OSG Intelligence Branch. We picked up a distress signal which your cryopod was sending out. We humans are part of the OSG, an alliance of species in the Orion Arm of the Milky Way. You are in an unknown sector of the Orion Arm."

"OSG? I've never heard of you. However, I promised to answer your questions. Tenno is my... classification. Not a species, but who I am. My voice is simply being projected by my Warframe here."

"You mean, you don't inhabit this armour?" Halsey asked. She had thought the armour was like the Mjolnir in design.

"No. This armour is symbiotically linked to my mind. My own body is in a Transference Pod in my Orbiter. The location of which, I cannot reveal. Unless I was to recieve permission. Either way, my species is... somewhat a mix between human and Orokin. A hybrid. My name is Calven."

"So judging by your armour, you are a soldier, of some sort?" spoke Michael for the first time. His gun was lowered, but Halsey could sense the wariness in his voice. "Because we found weapons near your cryopod, and you have the reflexes of one."

At this, the Tenno laughed. "I suppose you could call me a warrior. A very, very special one. The origins behind the Operator and the Warframe is dark and tragic, and I will tell you later when I have the time. Essentially, the Operators and the Warframes were created to fight the greatest threat the Orokin ever faced. As for why I was in stasis, it's because I was part of an expedition to see if the Orokin had ever expanded beyond our solar system."

"There are humans from your solar system? And these Orokin... they were limited to their home system?" inquired Halsey.

"Yes. Although we more or less merged into one. The Orokin were extremely advanced, trust me. Far more than the evident technology of your OSG. But we never saw a need to leave the Origin System."

Halsey was mesmerized. This was what she wanted to be a scientist for. "How interesting. I'd love to meet your- what are you doing?"

For at that moment, Calven's Warframe had tilted it's head up slightly, like it was expecting something. He didn't respond.

The Spartans lifted their arm-rifles slightly. Then Calven's Warframe turned it's head back down.

"My brethren are coming. I detect 4 Tenno descending in their Archwings. They should be here in a few minutes."

More unfamiliar terms. "Archwing?" she asked.

"Archwings are mechanical wings of Orokin design that allow for space combat and underwater combat. They are our version's of fighters."

"Are they armed?" asked Eva. It was obvious that she'd rather not have 4 heavily armed starcraft in here. Especially if each of the pilots was just as good as Calven.

"Of course. But you have my word that they will not turn them on you. Unless they decide that you are a threat"

That didn't reassure anyone, but they kept silent as they waited. Meanwhile, Halsey and Zaine continued asking Calven (his Warframe anyways) more questions. They also, after a moment's hesitation, returned his rifle and pistol. After a few minutes, though, they stopped moving when they heard a distant rumbling. It slowly grew in pitch and noise, like an approaching siren.

Calven turned. "Ah, they're here!" He walked towards the door to the room.

Shortly after, 4 Tenno flew into the room. Halsey had heard Calven say that Archwings were literally mechanical wings, but they were quite different from what she expected. The Tenno looked like warrior angels, sent to smite the puny demons below. Two of the Tenno had identical, vaguely insectile Archwings, one of which was dull blue, and the other painted a bright neon pink. The other two Tenno were using radically different ones. One of the Tenno, using a blocky Warframe, was piloting a behemoth of an Archwing. It looked more like two huge spikes than wings. The other Tenno, a slender, feminine one with a glowing circle on her otherwise blank face was piloting a smaller, darker Archwing.

After the quick analysis, she realized all 4 of the Tenno were pointing huge weapons at them, obviously thinking they were a threat. Then Calven stepped forward, and silently seemed to communicate with them. Barrels which were glowing with energy dulled and were lowered. From the Tennos body language, the OSG team could see that they were half in shock, half in amazement. They lowered themselves to the ground, the Wings detaching and disintegrating. Calven met them, and after a few moments of silent conversation, Calven turned and walked back to the group, the four Tenno following right behind.

"The four Tenno behind these Warframes are, to put it lightly, some of my good friends. I'd like to introduce you to Edward, Traven, Loren, and Jake. At the call of their names, each Tenno nodded their heads.

"I've told them what I know about you. They're part of a team that was sent to investigate my signal. Apparently I've been away for a year. My expedition was thought lost. The Tenno High Council intercepted my signal, and sent Infinity Squad here to find me."

The four Spartans were on guard, but for once, seemed much more curious about the Tenno. Their rifles were still at the ready, but Halsey could see that they were not hesitant as they were before. She was going to introduce herself until Zaine stepped forward.

"You said Tenno High Council. That means you have a governing body. But Calven said that you were soldiers. Why would soldiers have a government?"

The brown, bulky Warframe stepped forward. "The Orokin were wiped out, long ago. It seems Calven didn't tell you this. The Tenno are under the command of Lotus, a Sentient. The Sentients were what the Tenno and Warframes were made to combat. However, near the end of the war, when we were winning, the Sentients snuck their youngest, then known as Natah, into our ranks. She tricked us into killing the Orokin. However, due to reasons we are not permitted to share, she immediately turned on her own kind, and killed them. She then took command of the Tenno as the Lotus. She is our guide now. And we are the only force working for balance in the Origin System. We are our own faction."

Calven nodded at this. "Exactly. With our enemies growing stronger, it fell to us, the Tenno, to protect lives and maintain balance, though we are willing to work for rewards."

Lewis stepped forwards. "You're mercenaries?" with an undertone of anger.

At this, the black and white Warframe, which seemed to be two Warframes stuck together, stepped forwards. "We work for rewards, however we only do so within reason. We will take morality over rewards if it comes to it **(Author's Note #10 - Completely false. In-game, us Tenno do anything if you give us loot :P but that won't work in story)**.

Lewis didn't seem very happy at that answer, but stepped back.

Finally, the slender, almost frog-like Warframe stepped forwards. Halsey had to marvel at the craftsmenship on these armours. They were, unlike the Mjolnir or the Aegis, extremely graceful, almost like they'd been grown rather than built. "As much as this conversation interests me, there is distressing news. Three capital ships are approaching this planet. They must have picked up on your ship (she nodded to the OSG team). In about half an hour, they will be in deployment range for starfighters. We either need to make preparations for a fight, or we need to get the hell out of here."

The Spartans tightened the grip on their weapons. "Republic Destroyers." He looked at the Tenno. "The OSG has recently found itself at war with another faction called the Galactic Republic. Humans, aliens, whatever. We made some pretty inflammatory comments about the way they did things, helped their enemies, and now they're mad at us. War has been declared."

If the Warframes could frown, they probably would have. "Not good. But, we 4 should be enough to at least stall them so you can go. We will keep in contact. We'll tell the Council about this. I would advise you tell your higher-ups as well." said Calven. "In the mean-time, do you have any means of combatting them?"

Michael stepped forwards. "No. Us Spartans won't do much good against a force like that, and we only have a Prowler in the system, with a few anti-matter mines. Not enough to fight a battle. We could call for reinforcements, but it would take time for them to reach us. I suspect they came here to capture us, most likely Halsey. By the time reinforcements arrive, we'll be taken anyways."

The Warframe controlled by Edward rapped his fingers on a quad-barrelled shotgun. "If I may ask, how powerful are the average soldiers of the Republic? And do they have any elite units?"

Michael looked at Eva, the team's tactician. "Their standard units should not be of any problem. Although they do fight in large numbers."

Edward laughed through his Warframe. "Don't worry. We're used to fighting against large numbers. What's the problem then?"

Lewis spoke this time. "They may have a few armoured units, walkers, tanks, etc. But seeing your skill and tech, I don't think that's the problem. The Republic is mainly headed by a group known as the Jedi Council. They are... warrior monks, for the lack of a better word. They use this thing called the Force. Basically, telekinesis, and they have minor precognition. One of our best Spartans faced two of 'em on his mission. It took a lot of effort him to kill one, and he managed to injure the other. They're tough and smart."

The slender one, whose Tenno was apparently called Loren, spoke up. "How good is their precog?"

"They can dodge bullets, plasma bolts, etc. Depends on how fast the projectile is. If it's fast enough, you may be able to hurt them."

Loren acknowledged this with a nod.

"I propose a plan," said Jake. "You guys don't have the force to fight them. We need intel on this Republic, in case something goes wrong and they become a threat. So we'll stay back, hold them off, kill some, and flee in our landing ships. Meanwhile, your Prowler should be able to escape the system." He turned to Calven. "Do you have an Archwing or Landing Craft?"

Calven's Warframe nodded. "It's been stored in a seperate room. I'll go off and get it ready." With that, he turned and seemingly began to walk straight into a wall. That is, until the wall split apart to reveal a corridor into another room.

"Well, let's get to it." remarked Jake. He knelt for a second, then lept up what was easily 30 feet. Out of nowhere, his Archwing materialized again, attaching to his back. The rest of Infinity Squad followed, and soon all four of them were hovering in the air.

"We'll contact you when we think it's clear for you to leave. We'll have Tenno High Council contact you afterwards." said Edward. With that, and a blast of acceleration, the four Warframes raced up the cavern to hold off the Republic.

"Understood." said Michael. "Dr. Halsey, Dr. Monroe, we should get going." The OSG team also double-timed it up the cavern. As they exited it to broad daylight, there was a roar of engines, and a small ship flew out behind them, and accelerated upwards.

"That must Calven." said Halsey, as the ship disappeared from view.

"Let's not stay here. We need to be ready when they give the signal to evac." said Lewis, and the group ran for the location where the Prowler had landed.

**Orion Arm**

**Unknown Sector, Unknown Planet**

**Orbit**

The members of Infinity squad launched out of their Landing Craft, Archwings attached to them. With a graceful deftness, the pivoted and maneuvered as they formed up near a small cluster of asteroids that had been dragged into the planet's orbit. From here, they could pick out the three 'Republic' Destroyers approaching. Someone on a ship must have noticed them on the sensors, because about a minute later, several small fighters could been seen launching. Soon dozens turned to hundreds, and the 4 Tenno knew that they had a difficult task ahead. The light of the stars reflected off of them, making them glow like avenging angels. To protect or die. That's why they existed. And now, they had a new enemy to contend with. One that fought just as well as any Grineer or Corpus.

So they got started.

_**Author's Note #11: Thoughts Again?**_

_**So I ended on a cliff, and the next chapter will go into the battle itself. No important characters will die, but their will be conflict. Negotiations between the Republic, OSG, and the Tenno will occur, and we'll wait and see how those turn out. Until next time then!**_

_**For the Lotus!**_

_**-PVonTuckIII**_


	7. Chapter 6

_**Chapter 7**_

_**A New Revelation**_

_**Author's Note #11: Standard stuff**_

_**Hey there guys! This chapter will be longer than the others, around 10k words if I'm not mistaken. Chapters will get longer as the story progresses. I figured I might as well make up for the rest of the chapters being pretty short and less well written. Hopefully I will improve with time. Other than that, this chapter will be focusing on really introducing the Tenno as fighters, thus showcasing their combat prowess. I'll do my best to portray them as accurately as possible without being extreme (because you know, a player in the game probably wouldn't engage in a fair duel with their opponents. They would more likely lock them in stasis before blowing them to hell with handheld rocket-launchers). Anyways, I will NOT have anyone important like Anakin or Obi-Wan die, nor anyone on Infinity Squad. Too many people will flame me if I do :D. Formal 'negotiations' (coughspoilerscough) between the Tenno High Council, Republic, and OSG will also take place. Finally, I know that in formal Halo canon, Cortana is now gone amok and has joined the Created. I will be rewriting it so that Cortana somehow survived Requiem and is perfectly fine and metastable. Enjoy!**_

**Milky Way, Local Cluster**

**Orion Arm, Unknown Sector**

**Republic Wolfpack, 501st Legion**

The battle, if it could be called that, had begun. Most people would look upon the odds, and scoff. 5 soldiers against 3 Destroyers worth of fighters? It wasn't even suicide. It was closer to mailing the devil your soul. And yet, to the 5 Tenno, one of which was a Prime Wielder, this was perfectly normal. They almost even felt at home. Outnumbered, possibly outgunned, but not out-witted. For the Tenno were far more than just soldiers. They were thinkers, highly intelligent. Powerful tools, with deadly purpose.

As the Tenno watched the fighters approach, a voice spoke to them in their heads.

"Tenno? Tenno! Can you hear me?"

"_It's the Lotus. She must have finally established contact." _thought Jake over the team-chat. The Tenno were capable of communicating to each other this way **(Author's Note #12: This is just how I decided to manifest the in-game chat)**. "Lotus, we hear you! We found Calven, one of the Prime-Wielders!"

"I'm here Lotus. It's good to be guided by your knowledge once more." said Calven. He had been of the Lotus's most trusted individuals, often being sent on the most difficult missions.

"This is good news, Tenno. Very good news. However, reunions will have to wait. If you want any of my assistance in your combat, I will need information. Information that can only be found on one of those Destroyers."

Jake looked to his team, and then to his old-time friend, Calven, and then messaged the Lotus once more: "We're up for it Lotus. But it will take us some time."

"Hurry. I fear time is one thing you don't have much of. I have sent messages to your Landing Craft. However, there is a Void disturbance in the system. They will have to travel through realspace. Don't expect much support during your fight."

"Understood." Came the reply from all 5 Tenno. With that, they cut off the link and peered out at the advancing force.

"I count over fifteen hundred fighters, of 2 classes." thought Traven over the chat. "The majority seems to be of a smaller type, with V shaped wings. The second class seems to be their heavy fighters, with 4 wings, each with what appears to be weapon hard-points, and a rear gunner from what I can tell."

"At least these guys know how to make their stuff look good." muttered Edward mentally. "They don't look like flying junk-heaps."

"It takes talent to make junk-heaps fly, Edward." Pointed out Calven. "That's one thing you could give the Grineer a point for."

Loren was not participating in the banter. As sniper, she had already branched off from the group. With her huge Velocitus railgun at full charge, she had cloaked and was ready to open fire on command.

"Infinity Squad, enemy is at 3 kilometres and approaching fast. Break off and engage!" commanded Calven. With a blast, all 4 Tenno flew off, weapons ready to rip and tear through their unfortunate targets.

**Milky Way, Local Cluster**

**Orion Arm, Unknown Sector**

**Republic Wolfpack, 501st Legion**

Anakin was in command of the fighter force. Originally their course was set for the planet. However, scanners had picked up 5 beings in the nearby asteroid field, which were approaching the wolfpack. Analysis suggested they were of the same origin as the artifact which the OSG team was looking for. Which made capturing them a priority.

"General, the figures are moving out. They see us. But there is something strange."

"What happened Captain? Something go wrong?"

"No sir. One of the figures just disappeared."

Anakin frowned. "What do you mean, disappeared?"

"Just that, General. Vanished from all sensors. And is completely invisible. We can't find it."

Normally Anakin would have wanted to find the unknown before engaging. A missing figure was never a good thing to have in a battle. But he had no choice."

"Ignore it Captain. If something else happens, alert me."

"Yes sir." And with that, the radio went silent.

The four figures were still out of weapons range, but they were approaching fast. From the distance he was at, Anakin could pick out minor details. Whoever or whatever they were, they weren't in fighters. In fact, they seemed to have wings. More importantly, 2 of them seeming to have gigantic blades for arms. He could clearly see a sword of some kind, and was that other one carrying an _axe?_. How the bloody hell did they expect to bring down starfighters with an _axe?_

"All fighters, engage! Captain, take your team with me. Disable the creatures. Do not, I repeat, do not destroy unless necessary!"

There was a hail of affirmatives, and then, just as Anakin primed his weapons to fire, his wing-man, flying an X-Wing, exploded, shards of brilliant lights burning his retinas.

_"Kryff, they've got a sniper in the field! Evade, evade, evade!" _came the call, before two more fighters exploded. Even with his Force-enhanced senses, all Anakin could see was a streak of blue light, before a fighter exploded.

Before he could trace back the shots, a proximity warning sounded. He glanced up to see one of the winged beings speeding towards him, a huge minigun mounted on its arm. He barely managed to evade, and the being shot past him, colliding with another fighter. Anakin expected the being to at least take damage, but was shocked to see the V-Wing explode, the being shake it's head slightly, and turn back towards him.

Even though he couldn't see its face, or feel it in the Force, he felt anger. Not just that. He felt something... deadly within it. Like chaos controlled. Barely reined in insanity.

That was before the being accelerated shockingly fast, at speeds that would have caused all but the most experienced pilots black out. This time, a shield materialized on its arm, and from the shield extended a 12 foot long dual-pronged sword, which the being swung once, cleaving a passing V-Wing in half, and continued its charge.

Locking it in his sights, he opened fire, bolts of energy racing towards the being. The first few shots hit it, but, to his shock, deflected off of a blue shield, not even fazing the creature. The rest of the blaster bolts were dodged, amazingly. If he didn't know better, he would have assumed that the creature was a Force-user.

"Just die, already!" He screamed, as the creature swooped over his craft, raking its sword over the wing. It probably would have cleaved the wing off if he hadn't rolled at the last second.

The fight wasn't going much better elsewhere. At the edges of his vision, he could see starfighters being cut down by the beings. Every so often, another fighter would explode, as the cloaked sniper took pot-shots at the mayhem. Distress calls echoed through his cockpit as he engaged his own opponent.

To his left, he saw one of the beings fire off a missile. He thought it was the standard anti-fighter missile... until it exploded. A monstrous 400 metre wide explosion rocked the space, obliterating dozens, if not hundreds of fighters.

He saw fighters release their own proton torpedoes at one of the beings. At the last second, the being erected a shell of energy around itself, protecting it from the blast.

Realizing the fight wasn't going to go anywhere, he sent out a fleet-wide command.

"All fighters, retreat! Fight them where we are strong! Get back to the hangars!"

Like the tide receding, the waves of fighters fell back to the safety of the Destroyer's hangars. The four beings also halted in their attacks.

Anakin ground his teeth in frustration. "We'll be back. By the Force, _we'll be back!"_.

**Milky Way, Local Cluster**

**Orion Arm, Unknown Sector**

**Republic Wolfpack, 501st Legion**

The Tenno halted, as they watched their foes retreat. Most would have celebrated, but the Tenno weren't finished.

"We need to leave them a message. If we stop now, they'll come back in greater numbers. Loren, come with me. Lotus needed info. We will get it." called Calven over the chat. Loren called out an affirmative.

"Why don't we all go?" asked Traven, following the fighters with her scope.

"They'll probably send out extra fighters if we do. Between them and the weapons on the ship, I don't think we'll make it. Just the weapons is fine. Anyways, I need you guys to send a message to the OSG team down there. Tell them to get to safety. We'll be off now."

Thrusters engaged, the two of them followed the retreating force.

Loren's voice entered his mind. "The only way to enter that ship is through the hangar. It's opening now for the fighters. If we want to get in, we'll have to be fast."

As they approached the Destroyer, weapon emplacements turned, and targeted the two lone figures. Turbolaser bolts streaked towards them, in vain. The slow bolts were easily evaded by the two nimble Tenno. Calven pushed the thrusters on his Odonata Prime to the max, squeezing through the hangar doors as they began to close. Loren wasn't going to make it. Just as the doors were about to close, she Blinked through the crack, appearing on the other side.

"Nice work. I love how you cheat with that thing." teased Calven over the chat.

"It's not cheating. Besides, mine doesn't come with heat-seeking missiles like yours."

Calven nodded. "Thanks for reminding me about those." With that, he targeted several clones and technicians on the ground, before engaging the Archwing's Seeking Fire ability, sending a volley of missiles to the hangar deck, destroying the people and equipment in his path, before he touched down. He turned to see Loren touching down farther away, before drawing her Daikyu, and activating her Prowl ability. She disappeared from his view, but he knew she had his back.

"Lotus, we're in." he called over the chat.

After a few seconds, she replied. "There should be a terminal on the far wall. Get me in, and get ready to defend. They'll no doubt send reinforcements to deal with you."

He scanned the room until he saw a computer access panel on the wall. Sprinting over, he lay a hand on it. Blue symbols swirled, and the Lotus called once more. "I'm in. This will take a minute, Tenno."

It was then that he heard a mechanical roar. He turned, drawing his rifle to see one of the mechs turn around to face him. For a few seconds, they stared at each other. Then the mech raised a foot and stepped forward, the barrel of its cannon glowing blue.

When the bolt came, he was ready. Flipping backwards, he fell into a crouch and opened fire. The Orokin crafted rounds punched through the armour of the mech, no doubt shocking the pilot. The cannon fired again, the round sailing over his shoulder as he rolled to the side. Placing the rifle on his back, he drew his pistol.

Again, they both stared each other down for a few seconds, formulating a game plan. Then, in what would have been a suicidal maneuver for most, he dashed forward. The pilot, obviously surprised fired randomly. He was about to jump upwards and fire into the cockpit when the mechs foot slammed down, knocking him backwards.

He picked himself up slowly. "Just like old times, isn't it?" He thought to himself.

He would have tried the charge again, but the cannon fired, forcing him to dodge the bolt. Just as the cannon heated up for another bolt, he heard a whoosh, and a 4 foot long arrow sprouted from the glass of the cockpit, killing the pilot. The mech itself also keeled backwards from the hit, hitting the ground with a crash.

He looked back, and had his Warframe salute her sarcastically. Loren had his back covered as always. He was about to holster his pistol until he heard the unmistakable sound of an elevator dropping. He (his Warframe anyways) turned. The humming slowed, until the elevator reached the hangar floor. Then the doors opened.

Obi-wan and Anakin both walked out, hilts in their hands. As they searched the carnage, their eyes fell upon Calven, standing in the midst.

"I presume you're responsible for this?" called Obi-wan.

Calven's Excalibur Prime tilted it's head. "I dunno. Maybe." he answered with a hint of cynicism.

Anakin snarled. "And were you the one who kept annoying me back there in the dogfight?"

Calven projected a laugh through his Warframe. "No that would be my friend. I will say that he spoke fairly highly of your skills at the controls. It's tough to get his respect."

Anakin activated his lightsaber, the blue blade humming with power. Obi-wan also activated his.

Calven sensed another arrow in flight, launched by Loren's Daikyu. To his surprise, the Jedi cut it out of the air, the useless shaft falling to the floor.

Loren had also been surprised. It seemed her Daikyu would be useless here. She folded it and placed it on her back. "_I'm coming in, Calven. No point in staying hidden anymore. They'll probably be able to sense me too."_

He tilted his head. "Do you think you can hold your own?"

She mentally scoffed. "_Of course I can" _To prove her point, she uncloaked and bullet-jumped over to the group.

Anakin and Obi-wan were both surprised to see a second being uncloak and join her (it looked like a her) partner. Anakin realized that this was probably the one that had sniped his fighters out. A fresh surge of anger coursed through him.

Calven drew his Skana Prime, the intricate blade reflecting the light of the hangar better than any mirror. Loren also drew her Destreza, one of the newest weapons devised for warfare. The rapier's thin blade was fast and darting, capable of inflicting devastating internal wounds.

The strange melee weapons were noted between Anakin and Obi-wan. Apprentice and Master stood together like always, ready to face this new foe.

There were a few tense seconds when neither team moved. Then, in a lightning strike, they lashed forwards.

**Milky Way, Local Cluster**

**Orion Arm, Unknown Sector**

**Planet-side, 3rd Planet**

The OSG team was feverishly waiting for the signal to move. The Prowler was now in LPO and awaiting for the all-clear to evacuate. While Slipspace jumps could be done in-atmosphere now, it was still only to be used in combat situations. It was found repeated in-atmosphere jumps had a detrimental effect on ship hulls.

_Just then, the radio crackled. "Hello? Hello! Can anyone hear me?"_

The communications officer leaped forward, mashing buttons. "Yes! This is the OSG Science Team."

_"Thank the Lotus. We've managed to drive back their main fighter force _(at this most of the team's eyes widened in shock)_ and we've managed to buy you time to leave. I'd give you another half-hour for a window."_

"Thank you so much. We will keep in touch, and inform our superiors."

_"Likewise."_

With that, the radio fell silent. The vessel's captain spoke up. "Lt. Jay, get us into Slipspace! We need to inform HIGHCOM about this!"

Lt. Jay saluted. "Yes sir."

The Prowler accelerated, and tore a hole in the fabric of space-time, purplish energies swirling around them as they journeyed into the void once more.

**Milky Way, Local Cluster**

**Orion Arm, Unknown Sector**

**Republic Wolfpack, 501st Legion**

In a flurry of strikes, the two teams met, a blur of blades that would have scared the most veteran of soldiers. Calven's longsword was met by Kenobi's talented blade. Two experienced warriors faced each other, cautious and wary. Calven struck with a powerful horizontal slash, which was met with an equally powerful parry. Twirling and dashing, the two combatants circled each other, exchanging powerful blows. As they did so, they were able to learn more about their opponent.

_He is fast and powerful. More importantly, he seems tireless. If I keep this battle long, then I will not win_, thought Obi-wan as he parried off another powerful vertical slash from Calven.

_Despite a lack of any power-armour, this man is capable of withstanding my attacks. He is quick and powerful, but I should be able to overpower him eventually_, decided Calven, performing a rapid double roll combined with slashes in between.

While Calven and Obi-wan dueled, Anakin had engaged Loren. He, in his ego, had thought that Loren would go down fairly quickly, especially against his superior skill. To his surprise, however, Loren easily kept up with his spinning blade, using a combination of rapid thrusts, powerful lunges, and even back-flips to dodge and counter his lightsaber.

He backed up, gaining a newfound respect for his adversaries. "I have to admit, you are a warrior of whose skill I haven't seen in a while."

Loren twirled her blade in glittering arcs through the air. "Likewise. It's been a while since someone's lasted longer than 5 minutes against me."

With that, the two of the clashed again. Loren had channeled Void energy into her rapier, the blade glowing a violent shade of cobalt now. Sparks of energy pulsed through the blade. She met Anakin's strike, a flash of energy bursting between them.

Without a second's hesitation, Anakin struck once more, Loren stepping to meet him. Waves of sparks dashed off of their blades as they collided, the very ground heating up from the combat. Loren's Destreza slashed through the air, keeping Anakin's offensive strikes at bay. Then, just as she turned to strike out again, Anakin reached forward unexpectedly, and impaled her in the gut.

She was vaguely aware of Calven urgently spamming her name through the chat, but at this point the world had gone blurry and out of focus. She fell to her knees, and felt the saber being pulled out of her.

Anakin drew out his lightsaber, somewhat satisfied. _Another opponent down. _He turned to the ongoing duel between his master and the other being. Contrary to what Anakin expected, the warrior didn't seem the least concerned about the apparent death of his companion. He continued his duel, and in a master stroke, disarmed Obi-wan and kicked him in the chest.

If he hadn't shielded himself with the Force, he probably would have broken every bone in his body, and Calven's foot would have gone right through his chest. Calven turned to face an approaching Anakin.

"It's over for you!" shouted Anakin, swirling his saber in a glowing arc. "Your friend is dead! You are alone!"

Calven, back in his Somatic-Link Pod, smirked. His laugh was projected through his Warframe. "I wouldn't be so sure."

It was then that Anakin was aware of something happening behind him. He whipped around to see the body of the warrior rising up from the floor, a ghostly light forming in a halo around her.

With a blinding flash, the energy dispersed in a shockwave, knocking Anakin back. When he gained his bearing the two warriors now stood facing him, weapons sheathed. The one he had killed was back to full health.

"Our combat ends here for now. We have no further need to fight you." spoke the ornate, male one.

Anakin roared in rage. "That's not how it works. Stay and fight us like as soldiers! You can't just leave!"

Calven's Warframe shrugged. "We just did."

The hangar doors opened up, and the other three Tenno flew in, and unloaded their weapons in suppressive fire forcing Anakin and a recently recovered Obi-wan into cover. Loren ran over to the computer terminal and recovered the Lotus' imprint from the system. Jake's Scimitar Landing craft also flew in, unloading a swarm of missiles into the hangar, dotting the deck with craters.

_"I have gleaned what we need, Tenno. Your landing-craft await."_ spoke the Lotus over their intercoms.

With that Calven and Loren both engaged their Archwings, and with a hurricane roar, blasted out of the open hangar doors to the awaiting craft. Calven turned back to the two Jedi who were watching the departing Tenno with frustration.

"We'll keep in touch." He broadcasted simply, before turning and fleeing into the darkness of space.

**Milky Way, Local Cluster**

**Orion Arm, Epsilon Eridani,**

**Orbit, Reach**

An indigo tear appeared in the void of space, and the Prowler shot through. Clearance codes were checked out, and the multiple orbital platforms targeting the Prowler redirected their guns. Having learned from the tragedy that was the Fall of Reach, the UNSC, and the OSG, had declared that it would never happen again. 100 Orbital Defence Platforms ringed the planet, coupled with a joint fleet of over 300 ships. It was one of, if not the safest place to be in OSG space.

Halsey still remembered the fear of the H/C War, the feeling of having no where left to run. No longer. They stood strong, with powerful allies. And if these Tenno were to be taken truly... they would not have to fear much anymore.

"Communications, can you get a line to HIGHCOM? We need to inform them about our findings."

The communications officer tapped out a few keys. "Alpha encryption in place, doctor. The line is open."

The main viewscreen flickered with the OSG insignia, and the face of Admiral Lasky appeared. Dr. Halsey inwardly sighed with relief. She knew Lasky personally, and she knew him to be clear-headed and open-minded.

"Dr. Halsey. A pleasure to see you all made it back safely. Did you find anything?" asked Lasky.

"Oh we found something all right. Or rather, we found some_one. _The implications of what we found are highly severe. I would like to request a meeting between the Admiralty."

Lasky raised his eyebrows. "Understood, doctor. May I inquire as to who you found, though? Just so I have something to tell the rest of the board?"

"To put it short? A new faction. One that might help us in our war."

Lasky leaned forward, suddenly on full alert. "You _what?! _A new faction? How large are they? How diplomatic? How-"

"Wait Admiral. We don't know all the facts just yet. They are peaceful with us. They wanted to meet with their High Council for further discussion. I can't tell you much over the line, but I will say that their combat prowess is stunning. They outclass everything in our arsenal a hundred times over."

Lasky mused this over. "Just how good are we talking here?"

"Oh you know. We were attacked by a Republic Wolfpack who was after our 'artifact', which by the way happened to be one of their soldiers in stasis. 5 of them drove off the entire fighter force without sounding any worse for the wear."

Lasky nearly choked on his coffee. "I can see that a meeting is in order. I'll do my best, doctor. Best of luck." With that, the line closed.

Halsey sighed. Would she ever get a break from her job?

**Milky Way, Local Cluster**

**Sagittarius Arm, Sector 001**

**Larunda Relay, Origin System**

All seven Tenno councillors were rarely ever in the same place. They would either be assisting in the research of Orokin technologies, negotiating deals with other factions, or fighting. They were only ever called to the same place in times of great need. Like now.

After Infinity Squad had returned, they had immediately been whisked off to the Councillors Chamber for questioning. After telling the tale of their meeting with the OSG team, and their subsequent conflict with the Republic, the normally calm Councillors were in a frenzy.

"So you expressed the desire for further peace negotiations with this... OSG? A semi-galactic alliance of 7 species? One of which is... human?" asked one of the Councillors through her Banshee Warframe.

Jake nodded at the question. "The OSG members we met were on a mission to investigate the source of the signal they had discovered, which turned out to be the distress beacon from Calven's cryopod. Calven initially, out of instinct, disabled the team's security force. Once we arrived, it seemed they had managed to talk things out."

The Councillor thoughtfully shook her head. "I wonder how humans exist so far outside the system. This seems to almost be... engineered. Perhaps our new friends can shed some light on this when we talk."

There was a murmur of assent amongst the Councillors. "But what if they were to turn hostile? Not to mention, Infinity Squad engaged the forces of this Republic. Which also has humans in their midst. They no doubt will be hesitant to talk things out." one of them spoke.

Councillor Jonas' Warframe stood. "I have few doubts that the OSG will turn on us. They, according to Calven, have just come out of a brutal 30 year war of survival against each other. I highly doubt they will risk a war on two fronts. On that note, if we were to stay peaceful with them, or even enter an alliance with the OSG, they will no doubt ask for our support in the war."

Traven's frame stood. "I would like to say in the event that they asked for our support, that Calven also indicated peace talks with this Republic. We have to tread carefully. Remaining peaceful with both factions may end up on them turning on us."

Jonas nodded. "You're opinion has been noted, Tenno Traven. As such, Infinity Squad, along with Prime Calven, are dismissed from this meeting. You have given us what we needed. The High Council and the Lotus will discuss further action. Thank you."

Calven and the squad bowed, and left the room, the door hissing shut behind them.

For a few minutes, none of them talked on the way to the hangar. Edward broke the silence.

"Say... do you think we have the assets to even help them? I mean, we don't have a fleet. Most of our Tenno are scattered across the system, fighting against the Grineer and Corpus, while also containing Infestation outbreaks. Can we even offer our help?"

"I've been thinking the same thing," voiced Jake. "We won't be able to send too many Tenno to help, in the event we ally with the OSG. Or Republic, for that matter."

"Let's worry about that when it comes to it," said Loren. "For now, let's just hope for the best, shall we?"

Agreeing on that, the 5 Tenno split up to their various landing-craft. Shooting out of the Relay, the various members of the team rested for the while, the Tenno themselves dreaming quietly in their Somatic Links, whereas the various Warframes were shut down. Soon, their dreams would be shattered with nightmares.

**Milky Way, Local Cluster**

**Orion Arm, Epsilon Eridani,**

**Planetside, Reach**

At HIGHCOM, the normally brisk, businesslike air was now stirred into a boiling brew of tension. The fact that another, highly powerful faction existed and had the means of striking at the OSG was of no comfort. The only thing keeping the Admiralty from sending a fleet to nuke the factions system was their desire for peace.

Inside the room containing the Admiralty, the various admirals, led by the venerable Lord Hood, were discussing these recent turn of events.

"According to Dr. Halsey, these beings are of enormous power. 5 of them held their own against the fighter force of an entire Wolfpack." narrated Lasky. His courageous actions at Requiem had earned him the rank of Admiral.

Lord Hood stood. "I want to avoid conflict at all costs. Our forces are already taxed against the Republic. In fact, our chances of victory are no better than 50/50."

A loud grumble rose from the end of the table. Arbiter Thel 'Vadam leaned forward. "I believe you want to engage in an alliance with them. Ask for their support?"

Hood nodded. "Of course, Arbiter. With their support, our odds in this war would surely become more favourable."

Rtas 'Vadum leaned forward at this. "I, for one, am wary of gaining their support. They seem to be honourable, but until we meet the-."

Before he could finish, the holo-crystals in the room warmed, and blue light flashed in the room. As the stunned leaders watched, 7 figures materialized in the light.

Several of the leaders rose slightly. "Lusitania, who are these-?" began Lasky, asking the base's AI.

The lead figure raised his hand. "Worry not, Admiral. I believe the one called Catherine Halsey has informed you of our desire for talk. That is what we are sending this message for."

Several of the admirals sat down, but Lord Hood stayed standing. "If that is so, then a little warning would be nice."

Another figure spoke. "We have no desire for anything except peace with you, the OSG. The Tenno seek balance. We are knowledgeable of your current struggle. We will see as to how far we may or may not assist you."

The Admiralty was still wary. "Who are you?" inquired the Arbiter.

The seven spoke as one. "We are the Tenno High Council, representatives of the Tenno, who are the last of the Orokin. We are demons, striking down deadly retribution to wrongdoers, and also the angels of balance. We are the glowing iron, but also the silver water. We are the scorching sun, but also the cool moon. We are Tenno.

A single councillor now spoke. "We do not have time in this message to fully negotiate and talk. Instead, we would like to extend our hospitality. We have sent the Cephalon of this base, Lusitania you call her, the coordinates of our Relay, where we will be able to fully discuss our origins, and yours. As well as any peace talks for alliances."

Rtas 'Vadum growled slightly. "How do we know you will keep your word? This could be a trap to destroy us."

Rather than take offence at the accusation, the lead Tenno laughed. His ornate suit glittered. "We have nothing to offer you but our word. Do note, however, that there are much worse things than us in the system. We will offer our protection from these forces. On that note, we would also not advise bringing any more than 2 ships with you. Our system is at war with itself. A fleet would surely attract the attention of our enemies. And you would not like to meet them."

The Admiralty looked at each other. Could they trust these beings, who were known to be warlike?

Hood cleared his throat. "We accept. When shall we arrive?"

"We have gleaned some information from Lusitania. Send your diplomats to the given coordinates in 1 of your solar weeks."

With that, the holo-message cut out.

For a few moments, no one spoke. Lasky spoke up. "Well, gentleman! I believe we have a meeting to arrange. I will inform the Presidents."

With a grumble of assent, and a scraping of chairs, the Admiralty dismissed themselves, ready to meet with someone who could be their greatest friends, or their worst enemies.

**Milky Way, Local Cluster**

**Orion Arm, Sol,**

**Planetside, Earth**

The alarm clock unleashed it's daily noise of terror, jerking Jerald Fischer out of bed. Groaning, he smacked the snooze button, before clambering out of bed.

_"Note to self. Alarm clock might be the thing that kills me in the end. Get replacement." _as he groggily walked over to his bathroom.

After brushing his teeth and taking his shower, he walked into his rather plain kitchen, hoping to get something to eat. As OSG ambassador, he was by no means poor, but he still tried to lead a simple life. As he was waiting for the toast to finish toasting, he noticed the light on his phone pulsing. He had messages. As he unlocked his phone, a message popped up. It was from HIGHCOM. Strange.

"Wonder what this is about." he murmured as he looked over the note.

_"Dear Mr. Fischer,_

_You no doubt have been up-to-date on news. The Republic is a powerful foe, one that we will have a difficult time defeating. Analysts have calculated that the chances for victory are no better than 50/50. This, for us, is unacceptable. We cannot afford to lose. However, fate may have answered our prayer. We cannot tell you everything without your full agreement to this assignment, but the gist of it is this: We have found a new faction. One that is friendly with us, and is incredibly powerful. If we can ensure your assistance in negotiating with them, we will tell you more. _

_Sincerely,_

_Lord Terrence Hood, Fleet Admiral_

Jerald's jaw dropped. A _new _faction? That was friendly? How powerful? These, along with another few hundred questions clustered his mind. But one thing rose above it all. They could help the OSG. Help them end the second Great War.

Was it worth it? He was talented, no doubt, but to make a negotiation with people who could turn the war... it was almost too much pressure for him.

His cat leaped onto the table, purring for milk. He smiled as he opened the fridge and pulled out a carton of milk. "I may need to go, girl. Take care of yourself, ok?"

His cat stared at him with her huge amber eyes, unblinking.

He sighed. To or not to accept, was that the question? Didn't he have a duty to the OSG to do this? Did he want to be the guy who did this?

With trembling fingers, he tapped out his response to HIGHCOM.

**Milky Way, Local Cluster**

**Orion Arm, Epsilon Eridani,**

**Planetside, Reach**

_(6 days later, eve of departure)_

The 5 ambassadors were clustered in the shipyard dock, waiting to board the 3-km cruiser _Uncertain Equinox_. One member of each species had been chosen to represent the OSG in their talks. A Human, Sangheili, Unggoy, Mgaelekgolo, and Jiralhalnae would be followed by a team of 2 Spartan IVs, 2 Spec-Ops Sangheili, and 4 Spec-Ops Unggoy. The Lekgolo and Brute representatives could protect themselves.

The 5 ambassadors had spent the last few days fervently looking over any data they had on these Tenno. They had talked with Dr. Halsey, and also with the AI Lusitania. From what they knew, the Tenno were highly capable at combat, and equally intelligent with computers. But not much more. Their conversation would be relayed live back to HIGHCOM, where the Presidents and the Admiralty would view it.

As they went over last minute preparations, they bantered, nervous but excited for the coming talk. It had been some time since they had a purpose, since talks with Republic usually ended up in people shooting each other in the face. Hopefully these ones would be a bit more pleasant.

"What do you think? About them, I mean." asked Jerald Fischer, the human ambassador.

The Sangheili ambassador, Vrem 'Tagon, grunted. "We are screwed if things go the wrong way. If an entire force of Republic fighters didn't hurt them, nothing we have will."

The ground rumbled as the Mgaelekgolo ambassador spoke, or rather, vibrated. "They seem to be a faction based on honour. I will hold them to their word. We should be safe. I'd rather worry about the fact that there entire system is apparently undergoing civil war."

On that happy note, the group fell silent and picked up their luggage to carry onto their ship, as the engines went about their start-up cycles. A fusion of Covenant, UNSC, and Forerunner technologies, the _Equinox _was a state-of-the-art cruiser. A single H-L Projection Cannon, plus 2 energy projectors made for a fearsome armament, along with dozens of missile pods and hundreds of point-defence guns. A squadron of slip-space capable Greatsword fighters stood at the ready to engage any threat. A second one would be accompanying them to the meeting, for protection.

A half-hour later, the two ships pulled out of the shipyard, and once they were of sufficient distance from the dock, engaged their Slipspace drives, plowing into the swirling maelstrom, to their meeting.

**Milky Way, Local Cluster**

**Sagittarius Arm, Sector 001**

**Orbit of Mercury, Origin System**

_(1 day later)_

2 holes were ripped in the black sheet of space, and the two OSG cruisers slipped out, hulls gleaming against the brightness of the sun.

"All systems nominal. Performing standard scans." reported the sensors officer.

Captain Johansson smiled. "Excellent work. Apprise me if you find anything irre-."

"SIR! You won't believe what I'm getting!"

Jerald, along with the 5 ambassadors on the bridge, all jumped, immediately on alert. "What is it!? Hostiles?"

"No sir. The system... it's exactly like... Sol. The planets, the star... everything. The only irregular thing is Ceres and Phobos giving off unusually strong gravitational fields, and several additional bodies permeating the system." At that moment, the viewscreen snapped up on a sensory image of Earth.

Those on the bridge all gazed upon the world. The only noticeable difference was that it looked a lot more green than the Earth they knew. That, and that the Moon had several huge golden protrusions webbing around it.

"What happened to the moon?" asked Andrew Johansson, looking upon the pictures in awe.

"The Tenno mentioned they were the last of something called the Orokin. Maybe these Orokin did that."

Just then, the communications officer called out. "Incoming message! Tenno in origin!"

"Put it up," said Johansson, adopting a formal stance, as did the 5 ambassadors. The viewscreen flickered for a few seconds, then an image of a glowing blue diamond appeared.

_"Hello, I am Ordis, Cephalon of the Tenno. I would presume that you are the OSG diplomatic team, correct?"_

"Yes, that is us. This is the right place, right?"

_"Yes. Welcome to Larunda Relay. Due to the fact that your ship won't fit in the hangars, we would advise you leave your ships at a distance of 50 thousand kilometres, and send your ambassadors in a dropship. We will mark a hangar location for you."_

"Affirmative. We look forward to meeting you."

_"As do I." _With that, the link closed.

Johansson turned to the navigation officer. "Take us to the requested location," He turned to the diplomatic team. "Get to the hangar. I'll alert your security team, and get a Pelican scrambled up. Good luck. And remember, if something goes wrong, get a message to us." He saluted.

The ambassadors saluted him back, before taking the elevator to the hangar. They had a meeting to attend.

**Milky Way, Local Cluster**

**Sagittarius Arm, Sector 001**

**Larunda Relay, Origin System**

"Damn Jake, you really need to get in shape. I beat your record in the obstacle course by like, 2 minutes." projected Traven as she watched Landing Craft moving out of the way in order to make way for the incoming OSG ship.

Jake's scoff was just as realistic through his Warframe as it was coming from his own mouth. "Yeah, 'cause you're using an Equinox. I'm using Rhino. If our 'frames were reversed, I think I could do better."

Infinity Squad had been assigned to the task of welcoming the diplomatic team and giving them a quick tour before escorting them to the Council's chamber. As they waited, they went over the emergency plan.

"Alright let's go over it one more time. If they become hostile, incapacitate, but do not kill. If Grineer or Corpus appear, then evacuate them."

Loren projected a yawn. "That's all cool. Are they here yet?"

Just then, they heard a hurricane roar, and a dropship entered the Hangar, flying down to the pad that had been cleared for them. Unperturbed by the gale winds that whipped around, Infinity Squad walked closer to the craft, ready for _real _First Contact.

**Milky Way, Local Cluster**

**Sagittarius Arm, Sector 001**

**Approaching Larunda Relay, Origin System**

The Pelican swiftly drifted through the black, the gleaming structure of Larunda Relay looming over them as they got closer.

"So uhh...," said Jerald into the silence. "Anyone know what Larunda means?"

Vrem grunted at this. "I searched it up a while ago. It means, in human vernacular, an ancient deity. Nothing of importance. It seems to be a reference to the fact that this 'Relay' orbits the planet of Mercury."

Jerald nodded wisely. "How intelligent."

_"Sirs, we are entering their hangar. Prepare for landing."_

The diplomats collected their thoughts, while their guardians lifted their weapons. Whether or not they would be of any use... they tried not to dwell on that.

In the cockpit, the pilots were half flying, and half gawking at the gigantic hangar. The ceiling stretched several hundred metres over their heads, and constant traffic buffeted the open space. The computer pinged, indicating the pad on which they were to land on. As they touched down, they noticed two things. 4 of the 'Tenno' were waiting for them. An escort. More importantly, they noticed their ships, which strangely docked vertically on the sides of the pad.

When they touched down, immediately all 5 ambassadors pulled on breather masks. They didn't know if the atmosphere would be poisonous or not.

As a precaution, Jerald had been assigned to carry an AI, Borlock, as a specialist companion. The AI would feed them information, translate things, and the like.

_"Attention diplomats, we have landed. Good luck out there."_

Jerald keyed the intercom. "Thanks. Stay safe."

With that, the door opened, and two powerful empires met face-to-face.

**Milky Way, Local Cluster**

**Sagittarius Arm, Sector 001**

**Larunda Relay, Origin System**

As the door to the dropship opened, Infinity Squad got their first good look at the OSG diplomats. With the eyes of practiced soldiers, the immediately picked out who was who.

There were 5 ambassadors by their count, one of each species. A human came out first. About 6 feet tall, thin, with brown hair, he carried himself with an open air, honest and polite. A biped alien stepped out next, with reverse knees and mandibles, as well as large orange eyes which glanced around the hangar in concealed wonder. Next was a tiny alien, no taller than Jake's knee, which was wearing a suit, presumably an environment suit. After that, a huge behemoth walked out, 9 feet tall and wearing thick armour. The ground shook as he stepped onto the pad. It didn't escape Infinity's notice that it seemed o have tendrils underneath that armour. Finally, an equally large being stepped off, with thick fur and a brutish face. A large spiked hammer was slung across its back. It sniffed, eyeing them beadily.

Additionally, several soldiers walked out, white-knuckling their rifles. Even with their faces obscured, they could sense the wariness pooling off of these soldiers. The guns were long and shiny, not unlike Corpus Dera's. The Soldiers were a mix of humans and the biped aliens.

The ambassadors were all wearing what appeared to be atmosphere masks. A smart decision in times like this. Infinity then realized that the ambassadors and soldiers were staring at them too.

For a few awkward seconds, no one spoke or moved. Then Jake had his Warframe move up and extend his hand. "Welcome to the Origin System."

**Milky Way, Local Cluster**

**Sagittarius Arm, Sector 001**

**Larunda Relay, Origin System**

The OSG team walked out onto the pad, observing everything. The first thing their eyes fell upon were the four figures awaiting them. They didn't seem to carry any weapons, but like any good soldier knew, the body was the most deadly weapon. These figures were dangerous, they could feel that much.

After a few minutes, the lead figure stepped forward, extending his hand. "Welcome to the Origin System."

That move alone had the soldiers raising their rifles and reaching for their hilts.

However, in the interest of good faith, Fischer stepped forward. "Thank you. I am Jerald Fischer, human representative."

Vrem spoke next. "I am Vrem Tagon, Sangheili ambassador." The Tenno bowed their heads slightly at him.

After the other three ambassadors had introduced themselves, they got to business. "So ambassadors, my name Jake, leader of Infinity Squad. That's Loren, Edward, and Traven." The respective Tenno waved as they were introduced. "We have been assigned as your guides and escorts. We'll take you on a short tour of the Relay, answer any questions that we can, and then escort you to the High Council."

The ambassadors nodded at this. "Sounds good. Shall we get underway then?" asked Jerald.

Jake nodded. "Let's get going."

Infinity Squad led the OSG team through the security check at the door, before taking them into the breathtaking main hall, the Concourse, which bloomed with red leaves and trees, the control centre hovering above a waterfall. A rock statue of Rhino stood firm in the centre, a monument to Tenno strength.

"This is beautiful," murmured the Unggoy representative as she took in the sights and smells. Several humans wandered around, masks covering their eyes, tapping on holo-panels or simply chatting. She saw several Tenno clustered around a man standing on a podium, a cart of wares behind. Though the OSG team couldn't see much from where they were, the Brute and Mgaelekgolo, with their height could discern several weapons, strange circular objects, and other items.

"Who is that?" asked Vrem, indicating to the man on the podium. Traven turned back to the team.

"His name is Baro Ki'Teer. Or as he is known in the business world, the Void Trader. In exchange for currency, he provides special weaponry, mods, and occasionally cosmetics."

Vrem nodded at this. "Does he fight?"

Traven shook her head. "No. He is one of the last surviving inhabitants of Phobos. Many years ago, the Grineer invaded Phobos. They slaughtered the local people. Baro's mother held them off long enough for Baro to be evacuated. She was executed."

Vrem pressed his mandibles together. "And what happened to these... Grineer?"

If a Warframe could smile, Traven would have made hers. "Once we found out, we slaughtered every single one in sight. There is far more to the story, but we don't have time for it now. If you ever get the time, you can ask him. He comes by every 2 weeks or so, brings some nice stuff that he smuggled out of the Void."

Still glancing at the trader, the group moved on to the next series of room. 3 doors faced them, along with 2 elevators at the sides. Additionally, two hallways branched off.

"The doors you see here lead to Mission Control and the Conclave headquarters. Mission Control is just an easy way for any Tenno here to launch missions from. The Conclave, founded by one of the surviving Orokin, Teshin, is a program designed to train the Tenno in the way of advanced combat," said Jake.

Jerald nodded. "Where do those hallways go?"

"Each hallway leads to the Syndicate rooms. We have 6 syndicates here. The right hallway leads to one alliance, and the left to another."

Jerald frowned. "Syndicates?"

Jake nodded. "Yeah. They have the same ultimate goals as us, but different ideologies. Some, like Steel Meridian over there (he gestured to the first door on the right, with an emblem of 2 spheres with a line through them) do what we can't and help us on the civilian front. They protect what colonies remain."

The Mgaelekgolo ambassador vibrated. "You mean you don't help the colonies of civilians?" with a slightly dangerous undertone to his voice.

Edward's 'frame projected a scoff at this. "It's not like we don't want to. But it's for the best. Helping them would only draw the attention of the Grineer or Corpus onto them. It would only make things worse."

Jake nodded. "Anyways, continuing on, other's prefer to work in the shadows, like Red Veil, the first door on the left. They send their operatives on high-risk assassination missions. Other's are simply here to aid us in exchange for our help, like Cephalon Suda over there or the Perrin Sequence. The other two, New Loka and the Arbiters of Hexis, are here because they see it as their duty to enlighten us on further truths."

As the team processed this information, one of the Spartans stepped forward. "Who are you, the Tenno? You said you were the last of the Orokin. What happened? Who is your leader?"

Loren stepped forward. "The Orokin were a race of trans-humans. At one point in time, the system was overpopulated. To fix this, the Orokin devised a line of terraforming machines called the Sentients. These machines could adapt to anything, and could regenerate from anything. They were sent on a one-way trip to the nearby Tau Centauri system. They were to colonize the system, and then construct a Solar Rail," he stopped at the confused glances. "Solar Rails are the main method of FTL. There is an alternative, which our Landing Craft use, but Solar Rails tend to be much safer. Think of them like gigantic slingshots which propel ships across vast distances."

The Spartan nodded. "Ok, go on then."

Jake's Warframe sighed. "Something went wrong. The machines became too adaptable. They became sentient. As such, they swore revenge against their Orokin masters. To the Orokin's horror, the adaptability was a deadly advantage. Even the most advanced tech was turned against the Orokin."

"Countless bio-weapons, WMDs, and projects were tried. However, an accident resulted in the creation of the Tenno. I could tell you more about that, but I don't have the clearance to do that. I'll let the Council and the Lotus - she's our leader actually - tell you the rest. Speaking of which, let's get you to the chambers."

The Spartan nodded, and stepped back to his brethren.

"Alright then! Let's not keep them waiting!" With that, Infinity Squad turned, and walked off, and the rest of the group followed.

Jerald was impressed. Tenno architecture was amazing. Minimalist and functional, and yet so flowing and elegant. Not only that, but the suits that they wore. They were deadly in appearance, yet quite fancy and stylish.

As they passed on their way to the Council's chambers, he saw other Tenno going about their business, talked with a trader, kneeling before a huge holographic projection of a digitized eye, or exchanging medallions with vendors in the syndicate rooms.

He cleared his throat. "Is this the only Relay?"

Jake answered without stopping. "No, we have one around Saturn, Kronia Relay, and one around Pluto, Orcus Relay. We had others, but Grineer attacks destroyed them. These three are the strongest, the most powerful."

"Oh," said Jerald. "And I don't think you explained who these enemies of yours are?"

"We'll let the Council explain this to you. They can do it much more easily. Speaking of which, here we are!" said Jake, gesturing to a door near the middle of the relay. They approached, and the door slid open silently.

Infinity Squad turned to the OSG team. "We cannot take you past here. We will wait here for you. Good luck." said Jake, and the team bowed their heads.

"Thank you." said Vrem. He turned, and walked in, followed by the others.

The Council chambers weren't as opulent as some would have thought it to be. Like the rest of the Relay, it was elegant, functional, and spartan. At the back center of the room was a raised railed dais, and on it stood the High Council, 7 Tenno awaiting the group silently.

Somewhat hesitantly, the 5 ambassadors walked in front of the dais. The Spartans and Elites spread out to the sides, hands on their triggers.

For a few seconds, no one spoke, but then the lead Tenno, wearing a dark brown frame with an ornate helmet, stepped forward.

"Welcome, ambassadors. We are the Tenno High Council. We are the representatives of the Tenno. I am Hyrus, head of the Council."

Jerald stepped forward. No translation delay. They spoke English. "Hello, Councillors. I am Jerald Fischer, human representative."

Vrem stepped beside Jerald. "I am Vrem 'Tagon, Sangheili ambassador."

"I am Keerap, Unggoy ambassador."

"I am Oxos Dyrn Kole. Representative of the Lekgolo."

Kerberos grunted. "And I'm Kerberos. Jiralhalnae leader and rep."

If Hyrus could have raised an eyebrow, he would have. "You're the leader of your species, and you're also a representative?"

"Yeah yeah. My species was at war with itself for a while, ya know? Not many smart people around at the moment."

"Oh... I see."

The Tenno standing beside him cleared his throat. "Before we get into any form of negotiation and diplomatic talk, I think it would be best that we explain ourselves, make some things clear, and introduce our leader."

Keerap shuffled. "Your leader?"

Another Tenno, this one's helmet having a large crest on it, spoke up. "Yep. We are simply the face of the Tenno. However, the mind and heart are separate. Our leader took her time to arrive here. Normally she doesn't visit at all. May I introduce - the Lotus."

A door behind the Councillors opened and a female walked through. There some things strange about her. First of all, she wore a large mask covering her eyes, in the shape of a Lotus flower. Tendrils extended from the back of the helmet.

She stepped forward to the rail, observing them. The group was silent.

"Welcome to the Origin System. I am the Lotus, guide of the Tenno."

Jerald and the rest of the group seemed to be absorbing this information. "We are grateful for you taking your time to visit us. We do have a few questions we would like to ask."

Lotus nodded. "Please, put forth your queries."

"Well, to start off, who are the Tenno?"

"The Tenno are keepers of balance. You already know where they originate from, as Infinity Squad told you. But the truth is complex. Before the fall of the Empire, there was a ship, known as the Zariman 10-0. On board it were many children, and their caretakers. It was the advent of a new technology. The Orokin were testing out a new FTL technology were they utilized the Void for travel. However, something went wrong on the jump."

Jerald paused. "Lemme guess, the ship was destroyed?"

"No," said the Lotus. "Well, that's what the Orokin thought, but anyways, it was declared lost with all hands. But many years later, the ship inexplicably re-appeared. When a group was dispatched to investigate, they boarded the ship to find something eerie. All the adults were missing or dead. Only the children were alive. And they weren't normal anymore."

"Define normal."

"The Void had transformed them. They could channel Void Energy through them to accomplish incredible things. But, they had no control over these abilities. Handlers that were assigned to them were killed or severely injured by the children."

_Kinda like the Spartans. _Thought Jerald. "Ouch."

"Indeed. However, the work of a brilliant Orokin scientist by the name of Margulis helped out. At the cost of her senses, she found a way to help them. She found that in dreams, they could control their powers. So she created a series of surrogate bodies that could withstand this power. Using her new discovery, the Tenno would channel their abilities through these bodies."

"Which were the Warframes, right?" asked Jerald.

"Incorrect. The Warframes were next. Margulis' interactions with the children was considered a horrible crime. Her husband, Ballas, who was also Executor of the Orokin Council, was forced to execute her. After her death, the Sentient rebellion started. As Infinity Squad no doubt told you, the Orokin were losing heavily until Ballas conceived of the idea of a Warframe. Since the Void was poison to the Sentients, the children could control and channel their powers to combat the Sentients. And so, the Tenno was born. They pushed the Sentients back to the Outer Terminus, before the Sentients deployed their endgame. A sleeper agent, disguised as an Orokin, who infiltrated the ranks of the Tenno and tricked them into killing their own leaders. However, that same agent, due to having her own reproductive capabilities neutered by the Void, decided to betray her own kind in order to become the guide to the Tenno; their mother.

Vrem stepped forward. "And just what happened to this agent?"

The Lotus smiled. "I am that agent. I was once Natah, but now, I am the mother. I am the Lotus."

As the OSG group processed this twist, Hyrus spoke up. "While her actions may seem out of line, do note that we trust her. She may have betrayed in the past, but she has proven her loyalty. Her actions have merit."

Jerald was hesitant to trust her, but he knew that if they trusted this Lotus, then the OSG had no reason not to. "Thank you for the information. Infinity Squad mentioned that the system was full of people who would kill us. Who did they imply?"

The Lotus continued smoothly. "Nevertheless, I put the Tenno in cryo-sleep in order to keep them safe. When they woke, they found the system at war once again. The Grineer, a race of cloned humans who were originally the slave caste of the Orokin, had rose up, under the command of two Orokin sisters, the Twin Kweens. On the other hand, the Corpus, the direct descendants of the Orokin, a vast mega-corporation whose only goal is profit, also rose, constantly at arms against us and the Grineer. Occasionally we have united to face common foes, or the Tenno have allied with either side to maintain balance, but they are evil, and will not hesitate to kill or maim."

"However, both of these threats pale in comparison to the last two." The Lotus raised her hand, and a holographic image appeared of a grotesquely mutated quadruped. "The Infested. Once an Orokin bio-weapon, it recently broke free of its chains on Saturn, and have overrun the system, completely transforming the planet of Eris into a hive-world."

The entire OSG team had taken a step back at the image, and the soldiers had raised their weapons slightly.

_"It's just like the Flood." _thought Jerald, horrified that something like the Flood existed in this system too.

"We try to keep it contained, but it is difficult. If you are to ever encounter the Infested, kill them. Simply shooting the forms should kill them, however, for larger infestations, burn it to the ground. If that is not possible, run. There is no escape from larger forms, like Phorids.

"Now, as I said, one more, serious threat exists. More recently, the Sentient Hunhow, encaged in the bowels of Uranus, was accidentally released by the Grineer, and he has begun to call back his brethren. They will be upon us soon."

Oxos grunted. "Fantastic. What a rich and fascinating history."

Several people in the room glared at him, but the Lotus seemed to be at perfect ease. "That is all I have to say in this. Now, I would ask, who are you? The OSG?

The diplomats looked at each other. Where to begin. Jerald sighed and stepped forward.

"First things first, I need to get something out of the way. Your system, the Origin, is an exact replica of humanity's. The planets, the stars, everything. We are at a loss as to how this has happened."

Lotus frowned. "The Orokin have existed for countless millennia. If some outside force had a hand in making such a eerie relation, they would have to be ancient."

Jerald nodded. "We hypothesize that it was the acts of a race we know as the Precursors. Incredibly advanced, existing _before _the universe, practically god-like. They may have done this."

"A theory for another time. Now, tell us your history."

He paused to collect his thoughts. "Let's start with humanity. By the year of 2100, we had terraformed Mars and Venus, and had established colonies everywhere. By that point, we realized we would die of overpopulation if we didn't get out of our system. Two brilliant scientists, Tobias Shaw and William Fujikawa, discovered an alternate realm of existence called Slipspace, where the laws of physics were different and more malleable."

One of the councillors spoke. "So similar to the Void, though seemingly less malevolent."

"I suppose that's an apt analogy. Either way, the two scientists made the Shaw-Fujikawa Translight Engine, and human FTL travel was born. Over the next few centuries, we expanded, and by the year 2520, we had over 800 worlds and colonies under our control. By that point, multiple insurrections were building up, forcing UNSC high command to take measures.

The first of these measure was the Orion project, which created 100 genetically modified Marines. The project in of itself was a success, but they weren't enough. So the Office of Naval Intelligence, led by Dr. Halsey, who also made first contact with your team, devised a new project. The Spartan II program. 130 kids of 6 years, with remarkable genetic markers, were covertly taken from their homes and trained for the rest of their life to become soldiers." He paused, waiting for their reactions.

"Go on. We cannot criticize your actions, partially because we ourselves technically did the same." said Lotus, with a small smile.

He exhaled, and continued. "Anyways, the Spartan IIs were the most successful project ever created. Insurrections were stopped cold. However, by then, the _real _threat emerged.

He used his wrist projecter to show an image of Harvest. "This is Harvest. It was peaceful, a agricultural world with a moderate population of 13 million." He switched the image to post-glassing. "We lost contact with it, and when a battle-group was dispatched, they found this."

Even the Tenno, veterans of war, were speechless in the face of this. "And what happened then?"

"We made first contact with an alien hegemony called the Covenant. Their goal? Complete extermination of humanity. And so, for the next 30 years, we fought against them. Our worlds burned, billions were killed. However, a team of Spartans, and a cruiser under the command of a brilliant captain, who were on a mission to find and capture the Covenant leadership, instead found this, and crash-landed on it." He showed an image of Halo. "This... is Halo. One of seven rings created by a race we call the Forerunners. They were far more advanced than us, extremely powerful."

A councillor appeared to scrutinize the image. "And what was the purpose of these, Halos?"

Jerald, along with the entire team, grimaced. "They were weapons of mass destruction. Upon activation, everything within the galaxy would be purged of life. Anything with neural systems was obliterated."

Hyrus' gruff voice spoke next. "I'd assume there was a very good reason for this, right?"

Vrem took up the story from here. "Correct. The Forerunners encountered an extragalactic parasite called the Flood. They are similar in function to your own Infested. Assimilate all life. When the ship crash-landed there, along with some Covenant ships, they triggered a chain of events where they needed to exterminate traces of the Flood left on Halo, while preventing the Covenant from detonating the rings, which they saw as a path to transcendence."

Hyrus snorted. "How ridiculous."

Vrem sighed. "Sadly, it wasn't until later that we realized this. In fact, Humanity was the _Reclaimers _of the Forerunners. Their inheritors. A De- Spartan named Master Chief, he was the saviour of us all. He journeyed throughout Halo, deactivating it. Finally, near the end, it turned out that the control panel for the Halo Array was outside of the galaxy, on a installation known as the Ark. And the portal to the Ark... was on Earth. Which started a race where Covenant flooded Earth to excavate the portal from beneath Africa, while Humanity tried to stop them, while the Flood tried to get through the portal.

Eventually, both the Covenant and humanity went through to the Ark. Master Chief, along with the Arbiter of the Covenant, stayed behind to destroy the Ark, and prevent the Halos, and the Flood, from ever posing a threat again. They used a partially constructed Halo in orbit to destroy the Ark. The Arbiter crash landed in the Pacific Ocean, whereas Master Chief was left drifting in space for 4 years with his AI."

"By then of course, the Covenant and Humanity reconciled, burying the old sword, and promising peace. Over the next few years, we rebuilt our colonies and our fleets. Reverse-engineering Forerunner technology. Now, as you see, we stand tall. After Master Chief was rescued eventually, the old Covenant and humanity joined together in a new alliance. The OSG."

Jerald spoke again. "And so ends our story. We have seen death, and we have not backed down from it. We confronted war again against the Republic, and now, we stand ready.:

Jerald nodded. "And we've been at war with them for a year now. It hasn't escalated too far, but we've recently come out of our first battle. We managed to pull off a victory, but the Republic bombarded the civilian colony on the nearby planet in revenge."

Hyrus clenched his fists. "A despicable move I'm sure. However, I think we all here know what you will ask us. You want our help in this war."

Kerberos stepped forward. "We had testimonies from a team that Infinity Squad rescued. The Tenno are apparently the most powerful troops that they've ever seen. Currently our analysts say that the war, even with our advantages over the Republic, will not end well for us. We need something to turn the tide."

"I think you will understand our reasoning if we are hesitant to agree to such a proposal," said the Lotus. "Our forces are already spread out across the system. While I'm certain we could find some to help out, we cannot support you fully without leaving the system to ruin."

"Well, what if we came and offered our support to combat these Grineer and Corpus?" asked Keerap.

The statement from the Unggoy was met by laughter from Hyrus's Warframe. When Keerap started looking angry instead of confused, he stopped. "You can barely stand against the Republic. The Grineer and Corpus easily outnumber the Republic by a factor of 100. Their tech easily is more advanced than anything you have. We've been fighting them for 3 years now, killed dozens of billions of their troops, but we've barely even slowed them down. Nothing you have would even scratch the paint on their war machine."

Keerap shrank back at this, but another one of the Councillors stepped forward. If Warframes could have projected facial expressions, she most likely would have been projecting an angry glare at Hyrus. "Don't mind his blunt attitude. However, his point is valid. The factions fighting for dominance here could easily steamroll over whatever you, the OSG, or the Republic could throw at it."

Jerald stepped forward, a tad bit more nervous than he was before. "Considering the skill that we've observed from your soldiers, I don't think we need as much help as you may presume. In fact, only a few teams would be enough to turn the tide against the Republic."

The Lotus was silent for some time. "I am not worried about their safety. The Tenno, functionally speaking, are immortal."

One of the Spartans coughed. "Say what?!"

"The Warframes themselves are replaced after each fight. The Tenno themselves, the children of the Zariman, are free from the chains of age."

Kerberos stepped forward, a confused expression on his face. "Wait, so you're saying that you're all children?"

Another Councillor nodded. "The Tenno that control these Warframes use Somatic Link pods to control them. We are technically centuries old, but our actual bodies retain the appearance of youth. We simply project our voices through these frames."

"And just where are your real bodies?"

"Classified, but even if we were to tell you, it would be impossible for you to reach the location."

Kerberos looked somewhat unhappy with the fact that his new allies were a bunch of kids, but he held his tongue. "So are ya gonna help us, or not?"

The Councillors looked at each other. Hyrus looked to the Lotus. There was a tense few seconds when Jerald didn't know what was happening. This was the tipping point of his career. If he could pull this off, he may have saved the OSG.

Hyrus consulted the council, and then whispered to the Lotus. She turned to the OSG diplomatic team. Everyone held their breaths. Even the Spartans and Elites tightened their grips on their weapons.

"We will ally with you. However! There are some conditions that must be met."

Jerald wanted to walk over there and shake her hand. He forced himself to stay focused. "Name them."

"First. We will only dedicate a few teams at a time to help you out. Those teams will follow ulterior commands, but ultimately, they will be under our command. Second, our squads will be given the freedom to act as a separate unit from any team you may send to work with them. Of course, they will still fight with you, but the method of doing such is up to them. If this is possible, then we will accept."

Jerald looked to his comrades. Vrem and Keerap nodded. Oxos clenched a huge fist, signalling his agreement. Kerberos still looked unhappy, but he sighed. They were in agreement. He turned back to the Council.

"We accept your terms."

After another few hours of debating semantics, the OSG team walked out of the room, into the cool air of the Concourse. As they promised, Infinity Squad was waiting, or at least Jake and Loren. Jake's head turned towards them, and upon recognizing them, he turned, and silently beckoned them. Apparently Traven was with Baro, exchanging currency. The squad walked over to the OSG team. Jerald saw the door to... what was it called again? Oh yeah, Steel Meridian. Yeah, the door to Steel Meridian opened up, and Edward walked out, a brand new quad-barreled shotgun slung over his back.

"So, how did it go? Do we get to come along to kick butt, or what?"

The euphoria that Jerald was feeling was nearly overwhelming, but he forced himself to stay professional. "Uh yes. We've entered an alliance. Hopefully it goes well."

Jake nodded. "In that case, I look forward to seeing you on the field."

One of the Spartans was eyeing the shotgun on Edward's back. "Whatcha got there, Edward, was it?"

Edward pulled the shotgun off of his back. "This here, mate, is Steel Meridian's custom-engineered shotgun, the Vaykor Hek. It's got a upgraded specs over the original, better rounds, and Steel Meridian's personal Justice effect."

The Spartan whistled. "I wish I had a gun like that. I'm stuck with this piece of junk." motioning to the M90 Shotgun on his back.

Edward shrugged. "If I get the chance, I can try and get you something. Although the recoil on our weapons are probably much stronger than yours."

"Thanks," said the Spartan. He had heard the stories. Whatever weapons these Tenno used, they had to have packed a punch. He was eager to have new allies in this fight.

And of course, in such a peaceful moment, everything went downhill.

Suddenly, an alarm rang in the relay, a clear, warning tone. At the exact same time, a transmission came in from the _Equinox. "Ambassadors! We're getting an unauthorized ship entering Relay space. It's a Republic Destroyer!"_

The Spartan, whose name was David, turned to Infinity Squad. "Are you aware that a Republic Destroyer just entered your system?"

They shrugged. If it had hostile intent, it wouldn't matter. They didn't stand a chance against the Relay.

A Relay-wide announcement came in. _"Attention all Tenno! This is the High Council. We have detected a Republic Destroyer entering the system. They are the enemies of our allies, the OSG. We will have information sent to all of you as soon as possible."_

Jake turned to the team. "Now we are."

_"We believe they want to engage in diplomatic talk."_

Oxos snorted. "Sure they do."

_"This is an order. Do NOT attack it. Ordis will be giving it instructions. We repeat, do not engage. Allow them to land. Infinity Squad, you are hereby assigned escort duty."_

Warframes couldn't frown, but Infinity's frames probably would have. "Aw hell." said Edward. "This ain't gonna end well.


	8. Comments

_**Replying to Comments**_

_**Author's Note #13: Replies to comments, etc.**_

_**So I figured that's it's been a while since I've replied to those who have commented on my story, and I appreciate the critique and reviews. So let's get onto it. This is just a review chapter. Also, only the reviews on the first page will be answered.**_

**FYAT - **_**Not a problem. I'm not asking you to read. If you don't like it, don't read it.**_

**stormdragon981 - **_**I'm not sure what you're getting at here. I haven't forgotten anything. I simply don't see a need to bring in AH at this point. I may bring it in later on.**_

**megacarrol - **_**Thanks! Always good to know.**_

**Tommy298 - **_**Yeah, I'll have to change the description. This is now a multiverse crossover. Thank you for reminding me. And trust me, I do know where I'm going with this.**_

**Dovahkiin the Imperial - **_**Why thank you. I'll try my best to keep things within canon, but of course, some things will be changed in order to fit. Thank you!**_

**CrazyHades - **_**I was imagining that the Jedi sort of surprised him with that. I have read the books, and I know MC has a fair amount of skill with the Energy Sword. But, plot, ya know? But thanks for the info!**_

**Gaben **_**and **_**Named - **_**So both of you are asking me for feats on WF. Understandable, considering it isn't one of the bigger 'verses out there. So I'll reply to both of your posts at the same time. **_

**1) Named - **_**I suppose that was an oversight on my part. I'll see what I can do.**_

**2)**_** Fleets and ships - Now let's look at the facts. The OSG, in total, has 50k ships as per my canon. In formal Halo canon, the UNSC has around 2k, and the Covenant about triple that (I don't think we have numbers for their fleets). According to intercepted transmissions from the Gradivus Dilemna, a WF event, the Corpus, a faction in Warframe, brushed aside the loss of over 100k warships. They simply stopped because the conflict wasn't economical. These ships were from a single (albeit wealthy) private citizen in the Corpus. From this info, you can extrapolate that the Corpus fleet in its entirety numbers in the millions, which obviously means they outnumber the OSG at least 50-1. On top of that, their warships in question have been measured in game to be around 20 km in length, which means that weaponry is literally a non-issue. They could ram the Infinity. **_

_**This is the Corpus. The Grineer, the more dominant faction, was noted to have far more ships than the Corpus. Which would put the number of 'Galleons' (their standard, 2 km long warships) at several million. On top of that, during Operation Slingshot, Tethra's Doom, and Eyes of Blight, the Grineer were producing tens of thousands of 20 km Fomorian and Balor Fomorian dreadnoughts in a period of weeks. Each of these ships can chop a Corpus warship in half with their main guns, or obliterate a Tenno relay with a single shot. **_

_**Now the question here is how the hell they're making so many ships with a single solar-system's worth of resources. How they outnumber the Galactic Republic. The answer? - Fiction. And more realistically, Space is huge. WF would appear (this is simply the most accepted canon) to simply utilize this space more effectively. Otherwise, we can't argue, considering it's hard canon. Also, WF stats from 2016 says that the Tenno have completed over 504 million missions. If even 1% of those were ship sabotage, then it would still put the number of ships destroyed at 5.4 million. And it hasn't even slowed down anyone. They shrug it off like rain.**_

_**If you guys need more fleet calcs, feel free to PM me, and I'll send you links and whatnot.**_

_***Ugh finger cramps. Back to typing***_

_**3) Tech - So Named brought up the point that WF is the 'technological superior' of the OSG. I don't think I said this, but either way, it is only partially true. The Grineer and Corpus are only Tier 2. They are extremely powerful, and could give the Forerunners a headache if they went out of control, but they aren't that powerful. Now, the other three factions, the Tenno, Orokin, and Sentients, are a different story. **_

_**Tenno - In terms of tech, they rely more on space magic, and they do it on a small scale, considering they are mainly saboteurs and not fleet specialists. Among their feats include things like localized time-stops, base manipulation of electromagnetic force, magnetizing normally mundane objects, like rubber, casual dimension hopping, walking from one side of the solar-system to another (although the feat in question killed the person who did, considering they misplaced a decimal somewhere), manipulating the concept of life and death itself, and much more. This is enough to put them on Forerunner-lite tier. They would still lose in all-out war (or they would simply bunker in the Void, immune to everything). **_

_**Orokin - This is where things get interesting. They turned Phobos, an asteroid, into a fully fledged planet with a Earth-type gravitational field and atmosphere, yet only increased its size by a few thousand times. It's much smaller than the Earth, but possess' similar characteristics. They did similar things to Mercury, Venus, Pluto, Sedna, Ceres, and Eris. On top of this, they were masters of dimensional manipulation, apparently immortal, and were kinda like the Precursors in a way. Manipulating life to their own advantage. **_

_**Sentients - Built by the Orokin as terraforming machines, they gained their Sentience and turned on their creators. As stated by Hunhow, a single Sentient, a few hundred metres in size, can obliterate entire worlds, and alter entire solar-systems. The Lotus, a child by Sentient standards, was able to punt the Moon into the Void for centuries without anyone being the wiser. On top of that, they could regenerate from anything, and regrow themselves from anything. They learned from everything and were highly intelligent. So there you go.**_

**3)**_** Tenno capabilities - This will take a while to go through, but I'll try to keep it short. Let's start with standard ground combat. Let's state the advantages that, say, a Tenno straight out of cryosleep with no weapons possess' over the average Spartan II.**_

_**-Much faster (they move so fast that they were near invisible to those watching, or appeared as blurs of colour).**_

_**-Much stronger (lifts dozens of tons with little exertion, can kick a one-ton soldier over a kilometre with little effort).**_

_**-Highly intelligent (hack into secured military supercomputers in seconds)**_

_**-Far more durable - consistently tank hordes of anti-tank (15-20 mm) fire with little to no effect, withstand rockets (which leave significant debris and craters where they hit) and snipers (which can core through 5 metres of battle-plate with no loss in power or accuracy). **_

_**From that alone, you can see how a single Tenno easily overpowers anything in the OSG arsenal. On top of that, they are functionally immortal, resurrect from anything, and use space magic like crazy. Obviously, now you guys think that I'm trying to make a WF stomp here, but I do know where my story is going, and it should prevent any kind of stomp.**_

_**I'll go into Grineer and Corpus infantry in detail later on, but for basics, they all tank just as much as Tenno, can leap 20 feet in one go with no effort, punch the ground hard enough to send Tenno flying, and have weapons with 20 mm barrels, which fire at 20 rounds a second.**_

_**Author's Note #14 - Stuff**_

_**If you guys need more, please don't hesitate to ask. I know that WF may **_**seem**_** OP (assuming you believe what I said), but there is a method to my madness, and I will ensure little to no stomps occur, for anyone. With that, thanks for reading, and until next time!**_

_**-PVonTuckIII**_


	9. A Brief Hold-up

_**A Brief Hold-Up**_

**_Author's Note #Whatever: _**

_**Hey guys, the next chapter is on it's way, but it will be put on hold for a few weeks, due to the fact that I have my final examinations coming up. I'd rather not write a story with exam stress, and write an exam thinking about my story. So until Mid-June, this story will be on hold.**_

_**Thanks for understanding,**_

_**PVonTuckIII**_


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